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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced on Monday that the national team has safely returned home following reports of “inhumane treatment” in Libya ahead of its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
In a statement, the NFF detailed the team’s departure from Al-Abraq Airport at 3:05 p.m., heading to Kano before continuing to the Federal Capital, Abuja.
NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire elaborated on the team’s “ordeal on Libyan soil” in a comprehensive 20-point statement, highlighting how the “keenly anticipated match” devolved into a “fiasco” due to the actions of Libyan federal authorities and the Libyan Football Federation.
The Super Eagles endured a difficult situation after being detained at an abandoned airport in Libya for more than 20 hours following their chartered flight’s arrival on Sunday. Originally scheduled to land in Benghazi, the team’s plane was unexpectedly diverted to Al-Abraq, located 230 kilometers (143 miles) from its intended destination.
A formal complaint by Nigeria has been sent to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), whose disciplinary board is now investigating the incident.
Captain William Troost-Ekong said the team would not make a three-hour bus ride from al-Abraq to Benina, where the qualifier was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, for safety reasons.
“As the team captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will NOT play this game,” he posted on social media.
“Let them have the points.
“We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here; even with security, it’s not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us if we continued.”
CAF said it viewed “the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian national football team at an airport in Libya in a very serious light.”
The statement added that CAF had been in contact with both the Libyan and Nigerian authorities.
“Appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF statutes and regulations,” the statement concluded.
The Libyan Football Federation denied any impropriety, saying in a statement it had the “utmost respect” for Nigeria.
“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident,” it said.
“Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.
“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation.”
‘Team is not safe’
Former African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba, who accompanied the Nigerian team to Libya, has called for stiff sanctions against Libya and supported the decision to boycott the match.
“If CAF knows its job, Libya ought to be banned from international football,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“This is a high-risk country, and one really wonders who approved for Libya to be playing its games at home.
“I played for the Super Eagles for 10 years, and I never experienced what I have in Libya in the last hours.”
“The team is not safe; those of us traveling with them are also not safe,” he added.
“We were locked up in an abandoned airport for more than 10 hours like hostages.
“The team will call their bluff and not play this match.”
On Friday, Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in the southern city of Uyo.
Nigeria leads Group D with seven points from three matches, while Libya is at the bottom of the standings with one point.
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Emil Kovács graduated from the Journalism program at Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. During his journalism studies, he focused on data journalism, investigative reporting, and multimedia storytelling. He gained experience by writing for the university’s student newspaper, where he gained attention for his articles on social issues. After graduation, Emil began working as a reporter at a European news agency, where he conducts in-depth analyses of international news and current events.
