THE Nigerian senior men’s football team, Super Eagles, is about to leave Libya, where it is boycotting the Africa Nations Cup qualifier following the mistreatment meted on the team by the host nation.
In a post on X, the team’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, appreciated the public for their support noting that the team’s plane was being fueled.
“Power of social media. Apparently, our plane is being fueled as we speak and we should be leaving (for) Nigeria shortly. Thanks for everyone’s support,” he said in the post.
The ICIR reports that the team agreed to boycott its Africa Cup of Nations second-leg match with Libya after the team arrived at Al Abraq Airport Libya and was abandoned by the Libyan Football Federation.
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 its members would travel by road for three hours before reaching Benghazi where the match would be played.
The ICIR also reports that the development might not be unconnected with the incident that happened when the Libyan football team visited Nigeria last week to play the first leg of the qualifier.
On Tuesday, October 8, after landing in Uyo, the Libyan team voiced its dissatisfaction, alleging mistreatment by the NFF.
It complained that the NFF treated its members badly by taking them through a long, tortuous journey by road, from the Port Harcourt International Airport to Uyo in a vehicle without air conditioning.
According to reports, Libya’s national team captain, Faisal Al-Badri, publicly criticised their treatment upon arrival in Nigeria, stating that Nigerian officials had hindered their smooth entry into the country.
However, the NFF refuted the claims, insisting that the Libyan Football Federation created chaos for its own team.
NFF’s assistant director (Protocol), Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, stated that the Libyan Football Federation notified the NFF just three hours before the team’s arrival that the team would be landing in Port Harcourt instead of Uyo.
Ayanbunmi also said that the Libyan delegation disregarded the road transport arrangements provided by the NFF, opting instead to hire buses on its own.
Many Nigerians have also reacted with anger and disbelief at the treatment meted out to the Super Eagles.
Multimedia journalist covering Entertainment and Foreign news