Super Eagles, the Nigerian national football team, encountered a startling and upsetting incident in Libya before their AFCON 2025 qualifying second leg.
The squad was reportedly stranded upon arriving at Al-Abaq airport following a successful first leg in Uyo, where they defeated Libya 1-0.
sports officials and supporters have responded strongly to this circumstance, which serves as a clear reminder of the logistical and security problems that still exist in African sports.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a press release that the Super Eagles were detained at Al-Abaq airport for more than 12 hours without access to food or drink.
Due to the Libyan authorities’ refusal to allow the team appropriate access into the country, their flight was diverted to this isolated airport, which is two hours distant from Tripoli.
The treatment has angered NFF authorities, who have described it as a flagrant violation of international football regulations and player safety.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was encouraged to look into the issue, and the press release verified that the players were left in very uncomfortable conditions.
The team physicians cautioned that the players’ health and welfare were seriously jeopardized by their extended exposure to such severe conditions and that some players would have physical discomfort during the forthcoming game.
In a social media post, Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong expressed his disgust at the cruel treatment the team endured.
He responded by threatening a boycott and calling on CAF and municipal authorities to take urgent action to resolve the issue.
Many other squad members like Victor Boniface were rattled by the incident and supported the captain’s position.
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This regrettable incident is not the first time it has happened in African football. African nations, visiting teams—particularly those from West Africa—have frequently endured similar treatment over the years.
Often, these behaviors are interpreted as psychological strategies meant to agitate teams prior to important games.
Despite not being officially sanctioned, such methods are rarely penalized, as seen by previous cases involving Nigerian teams.
The NFF has noted that some host countries have been motivated to carry on these practices by CAF’s nonchalance in prior cases.
Similar mistreatment has been experienced by Nigerian teams playing overseas, like Enyimba F.C., and this incident involving the Super Eagles shows CAF’s insufficient supervision and execution of regulations.
In the event of the tragedy, the NFF has made a formal request to CAF to hold the Libyan government responsible If the players’ health and safety are not assured.
The NFF emphasized in their statement that if teams continue to experience these issues when playing away from home, the AFCON tournament’s legitimacy is in jeopardy.
While many Nigerians have reacted negatively to this news others have come out to say this was a retaliation to what happened to the Libya players in the first leg.
Reports surfaced that the Libyan national squad had encountered serious difficulties during the first leg of the Nigeria-Libya AFCON 2025 qualifiers, which was played in Uyo.
The Libyan players were unhappy with their experience in Nigeria, especially with the road trip they had to take from Port Harcourt to Uyo.
They said the accommodations were poor and the walk was laborious.. After their 1-0 loss to Nigeria, some players also claimed that they received unwelcoming treatment, which made them feel even more exhausted.
surprisingly the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) did not file any official complaints, many football fans believe that the Super Eagles’ treatment in Libya for the second match may have been retaliatory.
It’s possible that the Libyans’ perception of inadequate treatment in Nigeria led to the Libyan authorities’ inability to provide the Nigerian delegation with even the most basic hospitality.
John Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, strongly condemned the treatment of the Super Eagles in Libya during their AFCON 2025 qualifying experience. “Disturbing” and “completely unacceptable,” he described the situation as a “almost hostage” situation.
