The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has released a detailed account of the turmoil faced by the Super Eagles during their recent trip to Libya for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
In a 20-point statement, NFF Director of Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire, described a series of frustrating and disrespectful encounters with Libyan authorities.
The chartered ValueJet flight left Uyo’s Victor Attah International Airport at 11:55 AM on October 13, 2024, landing in Kano for refueling before departing for Benghazi.
However, shortly before landing, the pilot was ordered to divert to Al-Abraq International Airport due to a directive from higher authorities, despite having secured the necessary landing permissions.
Upon arrival at 7:50 PM, the delegation encountered a poorly equipped airport with no proper scanning facilities.
There was a lack of support from local officials, as no representatives from the Libyan Football Federation were present to assist the Nigerian delegation, leading to confusion about transportation arrangements.
As frustrations grew, the delegation spent over an hour waiting for luggage and faced a complete lack of food or water during their time at the airport.
Efforts to communicate with the Libyan Football Federation’s officials resulted in unfulfilled promises regarding transportation, exacerbating tensions within the group.
The situation took a turn for the worse when, after midnight, the delegation was informed they would be detained for at least 10 hours due to unfounded claims related to a prior incident in Nigeria.
NFF President Alh. Ibrahim Musa Gusau expressed his disappointment, highlighting the unfortunate treatment meted out to the Nigerian team.
Local community leaders eventually provided some food at daybreak, but the NFF ultimately decided to withdraw from the match altogether.
After further delays in securing fuel for their return flight, the delegation finally left Al-Abraq Airport at 3:05 PM, en route back to Nigeria.
The NFF is now awaiting further action from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the incident and the future of the scheduled match.
