The Super Eagles will not participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya as the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has decided to withdraw the team.
The team was en route to Benghazi for the crucial qualifier when their chartered aircraft was unexpectedly diverted to the Al Abraq International Airport. The delegation was stranded for over 12 hours without assistance from the Libyan Football Federation.
In a statement on Monday, the NFF described the chaotic situation at the airport and announced that the players have decided not to play the match.
Supporting the players’ decision, the NFF is currently arranging for the team to fly back to Nigeria, effectively pulling them out of the fixture.
Captain Ekong Slams “Disgraceful” Hosts
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong condemned the treatment by the Libyan authorities, describing the situation as “disgraceful” and accusing the hosts of playing “mind games.”
“12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted whilst descending. The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi without reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without a phone connection, food, or drink. All to play mind games.”
“I’ve experienced issues before while playing away in Africa, but this is disgraceful behaviour,” He wrote.
He also highlighted the difficulties the Tunisian pilot and Nigerian crew members faced due to the unexpected change in destination and government instructions.
“Even the Tunisian pilot, who thankfully managed to navigate the last-minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land, had never seen anything like this before,” he wrote.
The Confederation of African Football has not responded to the developing situation.