THE Libya Football Federation (LFF) has expressed concern over accusations of deliberate foul play in diverting the Nigerian national team’s flight to Al Abraq Airport, ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in the country.
The LFF emphasised that the incident was not intentional and pointed out that the Libyan players faced similar challenges in their recent match with Nigeria.
In a statement on Monday, October 14, the LFF said the delay of over 14 hours faced by the Nigerian team was a result of standard procedures at airports worldwide, noting that such occurrences, although unfortunate, were not uncommon.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent reports surrounding the diversion of the Nigerian national team’s flight ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya.
“While we regret any inconvenience caused, it is essential to note that such incidents can occur due to routine air traffic control protocols, security checks, or logistical challenges that affect international air travel.
“These are standard procedures at airports worldwide, and delays or rerouting, though unfortunate, are not uncommon.”
The ICIR earlier reported how Nigerian Super Eagles players and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) decried the mistreatment of the Nigerian contingent in Libya since Sunday, October 13.
Stand-in captain of the Super Eagles, Williams Troost-Ekong, revealed on his X page Monday morning that the NFF officials and the players were stranded for over 12 hours after the team arrived at Al Abraq Airport Libya.
The team chartered ValueJet aircraft from Nigeria and expected to touch down at the Benghazi Airport in the host country but was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, where they would travel by road for three hours before reaching Benghazi where the match would be played.
The ICIR reliably learnt that no official of the Libya Football Federation welcomed the players and their gaffers.
However, reacting to the outrages that followed their actions, the Libya football federation, referred to its own recent experience in Nigeria, stating that the Libyan national team encountered similar logistical challenges upon arriving in Nigeria.
“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident. Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.
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“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation. It is important to highlight that just last week, our own national team faced significant challenges upon our arrival in Nigeria for the third match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
“Despite the difficulties we encountered, we did not make public accusations nor question the integrity of the Nigerian authorities. Football, in its essence, unites nations, and we are committed to upholding the spirit of fairness and mutual respect both on and off the field,” the statement added.
The ICIR reports that the Super Eagles defeated the Libyan Mediterranean Knights 1:0 at the Uyo Stadium on Friday, October 11 and hoped to be victorious again in the oil-rich North African nation.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M