فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The Nigerian Football Federation’s communications director, Ademola Olajire, announced that the Nigerian national team has decided not to play their scheduled match against Libya.
The Nigerian Federation is taking steps to return the players to their home country, and a formal complaint has been submitted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the incident.
The Nigerian team was stranded at Al Abraq Airport in Libya for over 15 hours after their flight, initially scheduled to land in Benghazi, was diverted.
Team captain, William Troost-Ekong, explained that the players refused to travel by bus for three hours to reach the Benina district near Benghazi, where the match was set to take place.
He emphasized that the decision was made collectively after consultation among the players.
“We decided not to play the match to protect our safety, and we will not travel by road under any circumstances,” Troost-Ekong stated.
Former Nigerian star Victor Ikpeba, who accompanied the team to Libya, called for severe sanctions against Libya and urged CAF to ban Libya from hosting international matches.
“The situation in Libya is very dangerous, and they should not be allowed to host international games,” Ikpeba remarked.
Nigeria currently leads their group after defeating Libya 1-0 in the first leg in Uyo, amassing seven points from three matches, ahead of Benin and Rwanda, while Libya has only one point.
In a separate statement, Nigerian Sports Minister John Enoh condemned the treatment of the national team, describing the situation as disgraceful.
He explained that the team was en route to Benghazi but was rerouted to Al Abraq Airport, several hours away from the match venue.
The minister added that the delegation was stranded for over 15 hours without food or accommodation, in unhealthy conditions, while being surrounded by Libyan security forces preventing them from leaving the airport. He stressed that the players’ safety is the top priority.
source: fesnews media
