Nigeria has withdrawn from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya in protest of a chaotic travel experience that saw their flight diverted and the team stranded for hours.Nigeria Boycott AFCON Qualifier Over Travel Chaos
The Super Eagles were scheduled to play in Benghazi, but their flight was diverted to a remote airport 250km away, where players and staff were left without transportation or accommodations for over 16 hours.
“The delegation of Nigeria…remained at the Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya,” the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement.
“Fatigued players and officials have remained nonplussed as the host Libyan Football Federation failed to send any reception team or even vehicles to take the delegation members from the airport to their hotel.”
Captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed the boycott on X, stating, “As the captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will not play this game. Apparently our plane is being fueled as we speak and we should be leaving to Nigeria shortly.”
Striker Victor Boniface also took to X to express his frustration, complaining of being stuck at the airport for nearly 13 hours without food, WiFi, or a place to sleep. “Africa, we can do better,” he said.
The Libyan Football Federation insisted the flight diversion was unintentional, citing potential reasons like air traffic protocols, security checks, or logistical challenges. “We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation,” they stated.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the matter has been referred to their Disciplinary Board for investigation. It remains unclear how the abandoned match will impact the group standings.
Nigeria currently leads the group with seven points after a 1-0 victory over Libya in the reverse fixture. Benin follows with six points, while Rwanda has two and Libya one. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the AFCON finals in Morocco next year.
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