Reports indicated that they spent over 10 hours at the airport without any assistance. A source mentioned that Libyan airport officials blocked all exits. The Super Eagles had no transportation and received no responses from the Nigeria Football Federation.
Super Eagles’ ill-treatment foretold
Libyan media warned of the ill-treatment Nigerians would face two days earlier. In a tweet, Libya News Today stated: “The Nigerian national team’s plane will be given permission to land at Tamanhat Airport or Sebha Airport – far south of Libya. The Nigerian national team’s mission will be searched by police dogs. The waiting time at the airport will be no less than 8 to 10 hours. They will be transported on old school buses that lack air conditioning. Hotels in Benghazi are completely full. They will need to stay in a hotel at least 300 km away from the city.”
Super Eagles captain reacts
On his Instagram page, Super Eagles captain, Troost-Ekong reacts. “They diverted our plane from its original destination once we started descending into Libya through their government instruction. Once we landed, they’ve kept us in this abandoned airport for over 12 hours now without any provisions,” he wrote.
“Even our pilot, a Tunisian who wasn’t locked in like a hostage, came back hours later. He was told in every nearby hotel they would only accept him and none of the Nigerian aircrew members. Are we still talking about international football?!
Eagles may boycott match
Nigeria may boycott the match, over the inhuman treatment from Libyan officials. Ekong threatened to boycott the match in his tweet. “We have kept our spirit up, but these are no conditions we will accept when done on purpose. Traveling by road is not safe here, and you can only imagine how they would treat us in the hotel or the food they will try to give us. It was funny before, but as a team we respect ourselves, and under these conditions, we won’t play. @caf_online”
Reactions from fans
Some fans expressed anger at the level of depravity in African football. A netizen named @Pooja said: “African football is too dirty and lacks sportsmanship. Winning at all costs remains a big deal on this continent. When Libya complained about the NFF and their landing in Uyo, I knew they would retaliate. Look at what is happening to the Super Eagles in Libya.”
Another person, Gregory Emeka, added: “This has always been the antics of North Africans, especially against Nigerian clubs. The moment they complained about ill-treatment before their match last Friday, I knew they would retaliate in a bigger way.”
Someone called on CAF to intervene. The netizen @Solarbiltz Illbilz Mark Tersoo wrote: “This is uncalled for. CAF needs to address this situation. They complained that Nigeria did the same thing to them, so they seek revenge. Respect should prevail in African football. This behavior is childish; I see no maturity in this.”
There were other angry reactions. Some worried that Nigeria might lose the game tomorrow. Nigeria won against Libya 1-0 in Uyo on October 11, gaining 7 points and rising to the top of the table. As of this publication, there was no official response from CAF, NFF, or the Libyan authorities.
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