The Nigeria Football Federation has officially withdrawn the Super Eagles from their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, scheduled for Tuesday.
This decision follows a grueling 12-hour ordeal at Libya’s Al Abraq International Airport, where the team found themselves stranded after an unexpected mid-flight diversion.
The Nigerian squad had been en route to Benghazi for the crucial qualifier when their chartered aircraft, provided by ValueJet, was alarmingly diverted mid-air to Al Abraq, a small airport primarily used for hajj operations.
The diversion occurred just as the plane was about to complete its approach to Benghazi Airport, catching the team by surprise and throwing their travel plans into chaos.
Upon landing at Al Abraq on Sunday afternoon, the Super Eagles and the Nigerian officials were left stranded, with no assistance forthcoming from the Libyan Football Federation.
Despite being in Libya for over half a day, no transportation was provided to take the players and officials to Benghazi, which is approximately three hours away by road.
The situation grew more frustrating as the team waited endlessly at the airport with no clear resolution in sight.
In a statement released on Monday, the NFF described the ordeal in detail, noting how the team had been left at the airport for over 12 hours, with fatigue and frustration setting in.
“The Nigerian delegation for Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya is still at Al Abraq Airport, 12 hours after landing. The chartered ValueJet aircraft was, strangely and in a dangerous manner, diverted to the small airport just as the pilot was completing his approach to Benghazi Airport,” the NFF’s statement read.
The players, now exhausted from the travel difficulties and the long hours of uncertainty, have resolved to boycott the match.
The NFF, backing the decision, has begun organizing the team’s return to Nigeria, effectively canceling their participation in the fixture.
“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer, and NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” the federation’s statement concluded, marking the end of the Super Eagles’ troubled trip to Libya.
The decision to pull out of the match now raises questions about the implications for Nigeria’s qualification campaign, as the team seeks to regroup after this unexpected and unfortunate disruption.
