The captain of Nigeria’s national football team, William Troost-Ekong, has announced that the team will not participate in Tuesday’s AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya.
The decision follows an ordeal at Al-Abraq airport, where their flight was diverted after Libyan authorities denied them access to Benghazi airport without explanation.
The Nigerian squad expressed fear and frustration over the situation, describing their experience as “unacceptable.” Ekong took to social media platform X, saying:
“12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted. The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi for no reason. We’ve been left without food, water, or phone access.”
He added that the Tunisian pilot, who had to adjust to the last-minute diversion, was denied accommodation for his crew under government orders, forcing them to sleep in the parked aircraft. Ekong called for intervention from Nigeria’s government and CAF, stating:
“We respect our opponents when they come to Nigeria. However, we will not accept to play this game. Let them have the points if they wish. It’s about respect and safety.”
Nigerian forward Victor Boniface also expressed frustration, tweeting:
“Been at the airport for almost 16 hours, no food, no Wi-Fi, nowhere to sleep. Africa, we can do better.”
Ahmad Hamza, head of Libya’s National Commission for Human Rights, described the treatment of the Nigerian team as “disgraceful and reckless.” Hamza stated that the incident harms Libya’s image internationally and could negatively affect diplomatic relations and football partnerships.
Last week, Libya’s squad endured a poor reception upon arriving in Nigeria, spending over three hours at Lagos airport before a difficult 200-kilometre journey to Uyo.
Libyan captain Faisal Al-Badri revealed that their journey involved delays, inadequate transportation, and travel on unpaved roads in complete darkness, with no police escort. Al-Badri commented, “This is not the first time we’ve faced such challenges in Africa.”
He added, “We were informed there was no police escort for the delegation, and we travelled on unpaved roads in complete darkness. The journey took five hours under dangerous conditions, and we arrived at the hotel late at night, with poor accommodation standards.”
