The Nigeria Football Federation has pulled the Super Eagles of Nigeria out of their slated 2025 AFCON Qualifiers reverse fixture against Libya due to hostage-taking, MySportDab reports.
A statement from the Nigeria football’s governing house confirmed the body has made arrangement to transport the team back to Nigeria with immediate effect following the the viral footage of Libyan authorities holding the players and officials hostage.
The statement outlines the inhuman treatment meted to the team from the dangerous mid-air diversion of the flight to a 12-hour wait at the Al-Braq airport without being attended.
“Super Eagles still at Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya!
“The delegation of Nigeria to Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya still remained at the Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya.
“The chartered ValueJet aircraft was, strangely and in a dangerous manner, diverted to the small airport away from Benghazi just as the pilot was completing his approach to the Benghazi Airport. We understand the Al Abraq International Airport is only used for hajj operations.
“Fatigued players and officials have remained nonplussed as the host Libyan Football Federation failed to send any reception team or even vehicles to take the delegation members from the airport to their hotel, said to be 3 hours away in Benghazi.
“The NFF made arrangements for separate vehicles for the team but the plan was unhinged by the diversion of the aircraft.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer as NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” NFF statement reads.
Also, members of the Nigeria Super Eagles have themselves decided not to play the match against fearing for their safety due to the harsh treatment.
Nigeria Super Eagles captain William-Troost Ekong said the team ‘won’t play’ the fixture under the conditions.
“We have kept our spirits but these are no conditions we will accept when done on purpose. Traveling by road is not safe here and you can only imagine how they will treat us in the hotel and the food they will give us.
“It was funny before but as a team we respect ourselves and under these conditions we won’t play,” Ekong wrote on Instagram.
