AFCON Qualifiers: Super Eagles Choose To Withdraw From Libya Match Over Hostile Reception

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AFCON Qualifiers: Super Eagles Choose To Withdraw From Libya Match Over Hostile Reception

Reported by Ayooluwa Afolabi

The Nigeria national football team, the Super Eagles, have vowed to boycott Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights, citing inhumane and despicable treatment by their hosts.

According to Premium Times, in a statement by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the team’s delegation remained stranded at Al Abraq Airport for 12 hours after landing in Libya.

The chartered ValueJet aircraft was mischievously diverted from Benghazi to the smaller Al Abraq International Airport, typically used for hajj operations.

The Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, expressed the team’s frustration: \"We have maintained a positive spirit, but these are unacceptable conditions. Traveling by road is unsafe here, and we can only imagine how we would be treated in the hotel or the food they would try to give us. It was funny before, but as a team, we respect ourselves, and under these conditions, we won’t play.”

Ekong highlighted several concerns, including unsafe road conditions, subpar hotel accommodations, and food quality.

Additionally, the team harbors fears for their safety amid Libya’s current political situation.

The captain also revealed a disturbing incident, saying, “Even our pilot, who is Tunisian and wasn’t locked in like a hostage, came back hours later. He was told in every nearby hotel they would only accept him and none of the Nigerian aircrew members. Are we still talking about international football?!

The NFF had arranged separate vehicles for the team, but the aircraft diversion thwarted these plans.

With players refusing to play under these conditions, NFF officials are considering flying the team back home, Premium Times reported.

This development casts uncertainty over the match scheduled for Tuesday.

After the first three matches in the qualification series, the Super Eagles are top in Group D with seven points.

The hostile Libyans are bottom of the group with just a point and have a mountain to climb to make it to next year’s AFCON to be staged in Morocco.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to make its stance known very soon.