What Happened to the Nigerian National Team in Libya?

Curious circumstances arose inside Al-Abaq international Airport in Libya on Sunday, as the Nigerian Football Team claimed to be held hostage after their flight was rerouted there while en-route to the second leg of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against the Libyan National Team.

After winning the first leg against their proposed opponents 1-0 on Friday, Nigeria were supposed to play out the remainder of the tie at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi, and would have headed into the match hoping to seal their place in next years AFCON tournament in Morocco with a win

The Super Eagles’ flight was intended to go all the way to Benghazi, but it instead was redirected to Al-Abaq, 155 miles from their destination.

A video of Libyan officials harassing and intimidating the Nigerian contingent on arrival at the Al Abaq airport in Al Abaq yesterday has surfaced online.

Glad to see that the Presidency has intervened.

As Africans, our diversity should be our strength and bond.

The… pic.twitter.com/fV1i6USQ7F

— Ojora Babatunde (@ojbsports) October 14, 2024

Upon landing, Libyan authorities immediately frustrated efforts to expedite their arrival in Benghazi, and the players ended up being trapped there for more than 16 hours. Stuck in a war torn country for almost a whole day, it is considered a direct assault on the players physical and mental health.

Upon landing, it was immediately apparent that there were no provisions laid out for the team to help ease their “delay”, and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface tweeted 13 hours into their ordeal, mentioning the lack of wifi, food and area to sleep.

Boniface tweets a handful of times, at one point describing the situation as scary, while fellow countryman and Leicester midfielder Wilfried Ndidi said that the team were “fearing for their lives”.

This is getting scary now
You guys can have the point
We just want to return to our country

— Victor Boniface (@boniface_jrn) October 14, 2024

Nigeria’s star striker Victor Osimhen, who missed this international break through injury, condemned the inhumane treatment of his compatriots in a public statement.

Osimhen said: “This attempt by the Libyan FA is no longer just a delay, it is an intentional tactic to weaken and ruin the morale of the players’, and it is beginning to look more like a hostage situation. The safety and well-being of my teammates and team staff are the most important things right now."

Victor Osimhen speaks on the heartbreaking situation 💔🤦🏽‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/ySL43cItvd

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) October 14, 2024

As a result of the mistreatment, the Nigerian team, led by captain William Troost-Ekong, decided to boycott the match, and instead travel straight back to Nigeria in protest.

The Libyan FA have responded to the incident and insisted that the poor reception was not deliberate, urging the Nigerian FA to be understanding.

However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a public statement, saying: “The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation, and appropriate actions will be taken against those who violated the CAF statutes and regulations."

CAF views the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team (‘’Super Eagles’’) at an airport in Libya in a very serious lighthttps://t.co/ee4ibHIw4v

— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) October 14, 2024

While the situation has been resolved, and the Nigerian players are thankfully back in their homeland, the reason for the delay is as of yet unknown, and it remains to be seen how the Libyan FA will be punished should they be found guilty of unnecessarily holding their opposition hostage.