The Super Eagles traveling to Libya for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group D match found themselves in a precarious situation last night, as they were effectively held at Al Abraq Airport.
Promise Efoghe, the team’s media officer, sent out an SOS message accompanied by a video, revealing that the Super Eagles and their officials had been detained at the airport.
Al Abraq is situated in the Derma District of Libya, far from the venue of their upcoming match against the Mediterranean Knights in Benina, near Benghazi.
Efoghe explained that their chartered flight, originally destined for Benghazi, was diverted to Al Abraq Airport just an hour before landing in Libya, complicating their travel plans ahead of the game.
“Libyan authorities hold Super Eagles, officials hostage at the Al Abraq airport in Al Abraq,” Efoghe yelled on the national team’s WhatsApp platform.
“About an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching its destination in Benghazi was diverted to another city more than two hour drive from the original destination.”
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This move by the North Africans may be linked to their alleged poor treatment by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) during last week’s visit for the match in Uyo.
In response to claims from Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri, regarding mistreatment upon their arrival in Nigeria, the NFF issued a statement denying the allegations, asserting that the Libyan Football Federation caused confusion for their own team, the Mediterranean Knights, by mismanaging their travel arrangements.
Tomorrow’s match is set to take place at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, near Benghazi, and it’s clear that the Super Eagles will face a challenging atmosphere in front of the passionate home fans.
