Super Eagles players have resolved not to go ahead with Tuesday’s AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Libya.
Team captain, William Troost-Ekong, dislcosed this in a statement on his X handle.
The decision was taken after the team was detained at the airport in Libya for over 10 hours.
“12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
“I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.
“Upon arrival he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.
“At this point we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game. CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow this kind of behaviour, let them have the points. We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it’s not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us IF we continued.
“We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with int. football.”
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See how a leader acts decisively and makes definitive statement on behalf of his team.
Abeg show Gusau and Enoh the way. They’ve remained deaf and dumb since, trying to be politically correct while the players are in trauma for al ost 24 hours now.
This is disgraceful behaviour. The match against Libya should be shifted to a neutral venue, maybe Zambia.
Let them abort the match it is not war but only football entertainment like some people carry on their head killing supersports crew members in their shady deal that they didn’t even spare journalists crew, even during war journalist are rarely attacked by the two sides or militants. Perilous time people going crazy and malicious in every corner you go online chat sessions and see how countries are hating on themselves. Nigeria world No1 popular country that everyone are always on alert once they know you’re a Nigerian. We spend our lives outside Nigeria proving to people every single day that we are different. Useless NFF or Useless Nigeria Government should do the needful and interfere in this situation via Nigerian embassy with swift actions to make our boys secured and Comfortable.
WHY DID NIGERIA ACCEPT TO PLAY IN LYBIA AT FIRST.
The Super Eagles players’ stance, as expressed by their captain, is not only justified but a necessary and bold response to the outright disrespect and dangerous treatment they endured in Libya. This wasn’t just a case of poor hospitality; it was a calculated, malicious act designed to sabotage and demoralize the team, something that has no place in any sporting arena, let alone international football.
First off, the Nigerian players are absolutely right to highlight the glaring difference in how visiting teams are treated in off the field, respect and fair play should prevail. What the Super Eagles experienced in Libya was the complete opposite—disrespect, sabotage, and a disregard for their safety. The Libyan authorities didn’t just drop the ball; they kicked it out of the stadium altogether.
The deliberate diversion of the team’s flight to a lesser-known airport, stranding them for hours without proper reception, and the refusal of local hotels to accommodate them, clearly wasn’t just an accident. It was an orchestrated move to disrupt the players’ focus and unsettle them before a crucial match. This goes beyond poor organization—this was hostile, and it could’ve even been life-threatening. Imagine if the plane ran out of fuel while desperately searching for a place to land. Such recklessness could have resulted in a tragic disaster. Was this a football match or an attempt at vengeance in disguise?
By refusing to play under these conditions, the Nigerian players took a firm stand not just for themselves, but for the integrity of the sport. They are saying, loud and clear, that respect and fairness are not negotiable. This was no act of petulance—it was about protecting their dignity and ensuring that such underhanded tactics do not become the norm in African football.
And let’s not overlook the bigger issue here: this isn’t the first time we’ve seen North African teams pull these kinds of stunts. Time and again, teams from this region have resorted to dirty tricks to gain an upper hand, and CAF has often turned a blind eye. It’s time to seriously consider whether these nations, who often identify more with the Middle East, should continue to be part of African football’s governing body. If their players feel more Moroccan than African, as we saw after the World Cup, perhaps they should compete where they feel they belong.
The Super Eagles are right to refuse to play in such conditions. This isn’t just about three points—it’s about sending a message that football must be played with fairness, respect, and safety for all involved. If CAF has any respect for the game, they’ll step in, cancel the match, and award the points to Nigeria, or move the game to a neutral venue. Enough is enough—African football cannot continue to allow such disgraceful behavior to go unpunished.
The players’ decision to speak out is a stance against the erosion of sportsmanship, and we should all support them for demanding what should be a basic right: to compete in an environment free of sabotage and hostility. Football is a beautiful game, not a battlefield, and it’s high time that message is heard.
Caf should automatically give the super eagles the point and ban the Libya fa by doing that they will sit up.
It does not work like that. By the rules, Nigeria will forfeit 3 points and trust NFF not to fully convince CAF why it happened so that they can get the points instead.
I’m not in support of the actions from the Libyan authorities against the Nigerian team.
However Nigeria should have done better when the Libyans changed arrangement with it’s hosts Nigeria by touching down at Portharcourt airport against planned Akwa Ibong with the Nigerian authorities.You expect the Nigerian officials to make a logistic arrangement to allow the team fly to Akwa Ibong from Portharcourt.They’re an international team as well and travelling by road in Nigeria is as bad as travelling by road in Libya both countries aren’t safe with security challenges.
Yet the Libyans were brave and courageous to travel by road but we cannot do same in Libya clearly understand though,it’s a thing of choice.
But in the future we should do better by being a good host even in an awkward situation knowing the same could be meted out as vengeance by the opposing team because literally everyone should be considered special.
I clearly understand Libyans were extreme in their actions but all this could have been avoided had we given them better treatment even in a difficult circumstances because had we engaged the appropriate authorities (Government) for instance,the Libyan chattered flight would have flown the Libyans to Akwa Ibong or make arrangements for a local aircraft at the cost of the Libyan authorities.
Allowing an international team to travel on a dangerous road is very bad regardless the circumstances.We shouldn’t have let that happen their players and officials lives is as important as ours!
Yes, NFF and its protocol team caused all of this. They played into the mind games of the Libyans in the first leg. If Libya changed its flight plan at the last minute, what would it take to arrange another flight to Uyo from there? Don’t they have liaison offices and officers in each state?
Supersport lost two staff members traveling on the same road, so we dodged a bullet cos anything could have happened with the Libyan team. It was huge risk ferrying the Libyan team from PH to Uyo. Useless NFF. They want to save money yet can’t account for all CAF and FIFA monies.
But we all know this NFF is the worst in Nigeria’s football history. What are they good for? Until today, no one knows what the $4m from Afcon Silver is used for. They keep disgracing Nigeria everywhere. They can’t hire a coach for over a year. And they don’t give a hoot because they feel untouchable courtesy of FIFA immunity.
My dear @Greenturf, while I respect your perspective and agree that Nigeria could have handled the situation with the Libyans better, I believe there is a critical distinction between the responsibilities of both nations. Yes, the security situation in Nigeria, particularly with road travel, is far from ideal. But let’s be very clear: this incident in Libya goes far beyond logistics, and what transpired there was a direct and dangerous attack on the Nigerian delegation.
We’re not in a war zone; this is football. The very essence of international football is to unite nations, bridge differences, and celebrate our shared humanity, not to indulge in petty vengeance. What Libyan authorities did—deliberately diverting the Nigerian flight, stranding them in an unsafe airport for hours, and orchestrating a refusal of accommodation—is not just a minor lapse in logistics. It’s an act of hostility. This was an orchestrated move to frustrate and demoralize the Nigerian team, and it’s shameful to think that a sovereign nation would resort to such extreme measures over a football match. If anything, they should have shown professionalism and hospitality, just as Nigeria has shown to them and other countries at least, in the past. They should have chosen the path of civility, after all, what happened in Nigeria wasn’t a direct attack on them. What happened in Libya is a direct attack on the players and their coaches.
This is not excusing Gusau. His incompetence as NFF President is yet again exposed. If there’s any issue with Nigeria’s football organization and international relations, Gusau’s inaction and poor handling of the situation is a big part of the problem. His administration has been marked by negligence, from poorly handled negotiations to lack of foresight in protecting the team’s interests. Incompetent leadership breeds chaos, and this incident in Libya is a prime example of how Gusau’s inability to secure adequate arrangements and representation for the Nigerian team has now come back to haunt us.
The NFF could’ve done better—there’s no excusing the Libyan authorities’ actions. But Nigeria also needs a leadership overhaul at the NFF. Gusau’s failure to act decisively on behalf of the Nigerian football family has led us to this point, where our players and staff are treated like pawns in a political game. We need leaders who will stand up for the dignity of Nigerian football, not just wait for the next disaster to unfold. Football should unite, not divide. It’s time for a change.
You are very sick.in fact an imbecile is better than you.do you value human being at all.do you think that everybody is in your standard
You that’s mother Theresa that value human lives,I was expecting you to apply the same energy to condemn the Nigerian authorities for not taking proper measures to protect the lives of the Libyans who travelled through a dangerous route for the Nigerian game.
Oh I forgot because they’re not Nigerians or your family so you can’t be arsed right?
Selfish crusader indeed!
This is not confirmed or from reliable source, but I heard they the Libyan authority declined to used the alternate flight we provided to fly them to uyo and decided on going via road.
Caf is a scam. Caf and fifa must put thier houses inorder before organising Qualification matches in Africa. Libya a country known for its warlords and violence. It does not have the capacity to host international matches. There is total breakdown of law and order in Libya. The so called peace agreement between the various armed factions has not brought normalcy to Libya. The confused and greedy sport officials that we have in africa including those in caf and thier shortsighted counterpart in nfa will rather play football matches in this crisis infested country than look for alternative venues. Why risk the life of footballers when you have alternative venues. The current south African president of caf is only interested in south Africa Qualification for the next world cup. Football matches in Africa in recent months have been marred by controversial decisions, poor officiating and absence of var.