Super Eagles Drop A Bombshell: Refuse To Play Libya – Find Out Why

The NFF had previously secured authorization for a chartered flight to land at Benghazi, conveniently located near Benina Airport. However, just an hour before landing, the flight was diverted, leaving the team in a difficult situation and complicating their preparations for the scheduled activities in Libya.

In his remarks about the ordeal, Troost-Ekong stated, “We spent over 12 hours stranded at an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted while descending. The Libyan government revoked our approved landing in Benghazi without explanation. They locked the airport gates and left us without phone service, food, or drinks. This feels like a mind game.

“I have faced difficulties while playing away in Africa before, but this is disgraceful behavior. Even the Tunisian pilot, who managed to navigate the last-minute change to an airport unsuitable for our plane, had never encountered anything like this.

“Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew, but they were denied accommodation at every hotel due to government instructions. The crew could sleep there, but no Nigerian team members were allowed. They have now returned to sleep on the parked plane.

“At this point, we have called on our Nigerian government to intervene and rescue us. As captain, along with the team, we have decided that we will NOT play this match. CAF needs to examine this report and what is happening here. Even if they choose to condone this kind of behavior, let them have the points. We refuse to travel anywhere by road in this situation; even with security, it’s not safe. We can only imagine what conditions we would face regarding accommodation and food if we continued.

“We have respect for ourselves and for our opponents when they are guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen, but these deliberate actions have nothing to do with international football.”