Nigerian players have announced a boycott of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with Libya on Tuesday after being stranded at the airport for more than 12 hours.
Super Eagles players and staff flew to Libya on Sunday but were diverted to Al Abraq Airport instead of their original destination of Benghazi Airport, which is more than 200km and three and a half hours away from where they are staying.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claimed in a statement that they were stranded at Al Abraq Airport on Sunday night, with some players saying they were left without food and water.
Nigeria will play Libya in Benghazi on Tuesday night, but the Super Eagles say they plan to return home instead of playing the match.
Nigerian players were stranded for more than 12 hours
“Nigeria’s delegation to Tuesday’s AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya is still at Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya,” the statement read.
“The chartered ValueJet aircraft, strange and dangerous, diverted to a small airport far from Benghazi as the pilot completed the approach to Benghazi Airport. We know Al Abraq International Airport is only used for Hajj operations.
“Weary players and officials remain unhappy that the host Libyan Football Federation has failed to send a reception team or even a vehicle to take members of the delegation from the airport to their hotel, which is said to be 3 hours away in Benghazi.
“The NFF made arrangements for a separate vehicle for the team, but the plan could not be implemented due to the diversion of the aircraft.
Nigerian defender William Troost-Ekong, formerly of Watford, tweeted: “12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted on landing. The Lybian government canceled the approved landing in Benghazi without reason.
“They have locked the airport gate and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
“I have had experience before playing in Africa, but this is rude behavior. Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to change at the last minute to an airport that was not suitable for our plane to land had never seen anything like this before.
“Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with the crew only to be turned away at every hotel again as per Government instructions. He could have slept there but no NIGERIAN crew members were allowed. He is now sleeping on the parked plane. .
“At this time, we are asking the Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. As captains together with our team we have decided that we will not play this game. CAF should look at the report and what happened here.
“Even if they decide to allow this kind of behavior, let’s have a point. We will not accept travel anywhere through the road here even if the security is not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or the food will be given to us. If we continue.
“We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when we are guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but those things have nothing to do with (international) football.
‘There is anger in Nigeria’
Nigerian journalist Cecilia Omorogbe spoke to Sky Sports News from Lagos:
“According to what the Libyan Government and the Football Federation tweeted, they said that the flight was diverted correctly to land in another city.
“But the Nigerian squad is doing a lot of diplomacy to make sure the players can go back home. They don’t want the players to play the game and come back successfully. They have been left at the airport for more than 15 hours and they are not sure when they will leave.
“We, in Nigeria, are praying for the safety of the players. It is not a kidnapping or a hostage situation, but the fact that they were left unattended at the airport without a delegation to receive them and take them anywhere, which is a three-hour journey.
“And we know in Libya, with the war going on there, it is not safe to go on the road or by bus to go through the city. There is anger in Nigeria, we are all very sad.
“Most Nigerians stand behind the players who told them not to play the game. They are not in their right mind. The players should be protected and assured that the players will be safe and treated fairly. What happened. in the last 15 hours, that is not the case .”
