Football: Nigeria boycotts AFCON Qualifier in Libya over airport stranding incident
Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, have decided to boycott their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifier against Libya following a chaotic ordeal at a Libyan airport. The squad’s plane, originally bound for Benghazi, was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abraq, about 230km away, leaving the players stranded overnight in the airport without proper facilities or food.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the team was “abandoned” and locked inside the airport building, leading to outrage.
Team captain William Troost-Ekong announced that the players had decided not to play the match, calling on the Nigerian government to intervene.
Nigeria’s sports minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, expressed concern for the team’s safety and supported the NFF in filing a formal complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Libya’s Football Federation (LFF) denied any foul play, attributing the incident to routine air traffic protocols. The LFF expressed its respect for Nigeria and stated that the diversion was unintentional.
However, the Nigerian players, citing security concerns in Libya, refused to travel by road to Benghazi.
CAF has launched an investigation into the matter. Despite ongoing talks, the Nigerian team remained resolute in their refusal to participate, citing both psychological trauma and safety concerns.
This dispute follows tensions between the two nations after Libya’s claims of mistreatment during their visit to Nigeria for the reverse fixture, accusations that the NFF refuted.
Nigeria won the first leg of the fixture 1-0 and currently tops Group D, while Libya sits at the bottom with one point.
