Super Eagles will not play against Libya, Skipper Ekong threatens

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The Super Eagles of Nigeria have threatened not to play against Libya after being stranded for over 12 hours at an abandoned airport in the country in second leg of the African Cup of Nations qualifier in the country.

The Captain of the team, William Troost-Ekong, in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), expressed outrage over the team’s treatment, theatening that they will refuse to play under the current conditions.

The Super Eagles were en route to Benghazi for Match Day 4 of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier when the Libyan government unexpectedly revoked their landing clearance.

Without prior notice, the plane was diverted to an alternative airport, which lacked the necessary facilities to accommodate the team, leaving them stranded without food, water, or phone connections.

The move by the Libyan authorities, according Troost-Ekong, is aimed at deliberately frustating the Super Eagles ahead of the match.

He said the situation is a psychological ploy, stressing that such behavior is unacceptable in international football.

The team’s Tunisian pilot, who had to make a last-minute diversion, reportedly said he had never experienced anything like this before.

Troost-Ekong said, “Upon arrival, the pilot tried to find a nearby hotel to rest with his crew, but they were denied accommodation under government instruction. He was allowed to stay, but no Nigerian crew members were permitted. They have now returned to sleep on the plane, which is parked at the airport.”

In his posts, Troost-Ekong called for immediate intervention from the Nigerian government to ensure the team’s safety, and demanded that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) investigate the situation.

However, reports stated that the Libyans had earlier complained over the logistics of the first leg of the qualifier, which took place in Nigeria.

According to the reports, the Libyan team expected to land in Lagos as per the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) earlier communication but were only cleared to arrive in Port Harcourt.

The General Secretary of the Libyan team claimed that they were only notified of their landing in Port Harcourt three hours before arrival. While the NFF managed to secure clearance for their arrival after a brief delay, the Libyan team was provided with a bus and security to transport them to Uyo. However, they declined to use the bus, opting to travel in their own buses, while still using the security escort provided.