Nigeria’s standoff with Libya has descended into chaos after its players were left stranded at an airport in the country without food or drink.
The two teams met in Nigeria in an African Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday, with the Super Eagles winning 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Fissayo Dele-Bashiru.
However, Libya said it had faced “bad treatment” surrounding that match and, ahead of Tuesday’s second leg, Nigeria’s stars are now furious.
Leicester City star Wilfred Ndidi even claimed that the players were being “hostages”, while the Nigerian team also hinted that they will not play the match in protest.
Reports in Africa He claimed that the Nigerian charter flight, which was headed to the city of Benghazi, was diverted to Al-Abraq airport by the Libyan government while it was in the air, and the squadron was subsequently prevented from leaving the airport.
The Nigerian team was stranded at an airport before their away clash against Libya.
The Libyan government was said to have diverted the Nigerian flight from the city of Benghazi to Al-Abraq airport, and its squadron was subsequently prevented from leaving.
The players went hours without eating or drinking and filed several complaints of mistreatment.
Al-Abraq airport is still about four hours from Benghazi and the Nigerian team was stranded for hours, with several players making astonishing allegations of mistreatment.
William Troost-Ekong, captain of Nigeria, posted on X: ‘More than 12 hours at an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane diverted while descending.
‘The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi for no reason. They closed the airport gates and left us without telephone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
Ndidi shared all his thoughts on his Instagram story when he said: ‘This is not football. Very embarrassing. Hostage of a national team. Disgrace.’
Bayer Leverkusen star Victor Boniface added: “I’ve been at the airport for almost 13 hours, no food, no wifi, no place to sleep.” In Africa we can do better.’
Meanwhile, Nigerian talisman Victor Osimhen, who is currently not with the team, also expressed his anger at the situation his teammates found themselves in.
“I am disappointed by the unfair treatment my brothers and coaches received last night at the airport in Libya,” he wrote on Instagram.
‘Actions like this go against the sporting spirit. My support is with my team and I know they will remain strong despite these obstacles.
‘I ask the CAF (Confederation of African Football) to intervene, since my colleagues and leaders are still stranded at the airport in Libya.
‘This is unjustified and inhumane. “We are together, stronger than ever.”
Troost-Ekong later took to social media again and revealed that his team had decided not to play the match in protest of their treatment.
“I’ve experienced things before playing in Africa, but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian pilot who luckily managed to make the last minute change to an airport that was not suitable for our plane to land on had never seen anything like this before.
‘Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew, but was again denied access to all hotels under government instructions. I could sleep there, but NO NIGERIAN crew members were allowed. They have now gone back to sleep on the plane that is parked.
‘At this time we have asked our Nigerian government to intervene and rescue us. As captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this match. “The CAF should look at the report and what is happening here.”
Troost-Ekong continued: ‘Even if they decide to allow this kind of behavior, let them keep the points. We will not accept traveling anywhere by road here, even with security, it is not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food they would give us would be like IF we continued.
‘We respect ourselves and we respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen, but these things purposely have nothing to do with int. American football.’
Several Nigerian players took to social media and revealed what they had been subjected to.
Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong later said they would not play the match in protest.
Libya’s accusations that they received “bad treatment” during the first leg last week were roundly rejected by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).
Libya captain Faisal Al-Badri had claimed that the NFF had obstructed the possibility of a smooth entry into the country.
“We left the hotel at six in the morning and the plane took off at nine,” he had said.
‘The flight lasted four hours and we arrived in Nigeria at one in the afternoon, Libyan time.
‘Our luggage was checked inside the plane for an hour, and we also had a three-hour delay in transportation from one city to another, even though we were traveling on a private plane and there was an airport close to the city we wanted to go to. play. in.
‘We later contacted the company responsible for the mission’s transport and security, but were informed that there was no police patrol at the time, which increased the risk.
“After a long time, three minibuses without air conditioning and a police car arrived, as well as two cars from the Libyan embassy.”
But NFF deputy director Emmanuel Ayanbunmi refuted this and responded to the Libyan Federation last week, claiming he was only given three hours’ notice of Libya’s arrival at what was a different airport than originally planned.
“I spoke at length to the Secretary General of the LFF on Monday, October 7 and he never hinted that his team would arrive on Tuesday (the next day),” he said.
‘He just said he would contact me, but he never did. On Monday afternoon, someone sent by the LFF as an advance group called me and told me that their team would arrive on Tuesday at noon. We made all arrangements to meet the team in Uyo upon arrival.
‘Just an hour after the team took off, he told me that the delegation would land in Port Harcourt.
‘That altered a lot of things but we still had to overcome hurdles to get approval from the federal authorities to allow their plane to take them to Uyo once the immigration formalities in Port Harcourt were concluded.
“Apparently, that would have meant additional cost to the LFF from the charter company, and they did not want that, so they preferred to travel from Port Harcourt to Uyo by road.”
Ayanbunmi also claimed that Libya ignored transportation plans planned by the NFF for its opposition and instead rented buses on its own.
The Nigerian squad claimed they were trapped at the airport with no food, drink or phone signal.
The astonishing claims raise serious questions about the organization of the AFCON qualifiers
He added: ‘If they were traveling on buses that did not have air conditioning, that had nothing to do with the NFF as they rented their own buses.
“We provide them security, with men and vehicles in front and behind their buses, so we are not moved by their complaints and threats.”
Nigeria’s victory over Libya on Friday was crucial to their hopes of qualifying for AFCON 2025, with the Super Eagles top of their group and six points ahead of their opponents.
However, it is now unclear whether Tuesday’s match will take place amid the treatment of Nigerian players and Troost-Ekong’s claims.