AFCON 2025 Qualifier: Super Eagles Captain Narrates Sad Experience In Libya

Posted by Thandiubani on Mon 14th Oct, 2024 - tori.ng

This is as the Nigerian team are still stranded at the Al Abaq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya.

Super Eagles captain, William Troost Ekong has narrated the sad experience in Libya.

This is as the Nigerian team are still stranded at the Al Abaq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya.

In a Twitter post, he slammed Libya over the sad treatment of Nigerian players after their airplane was dangerously diverted to the small airport away from Benghazi just as the pilot was completing his approach to the Benghazi Airport on Sunday night .

The Lbyan Football Federation also failed to send any reception team or even vehicles to take the delegation members from the airport to their hotel, said to be 3 hours away in Benghazi, according to to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

In a Twitter post, he wrote:

"12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.

I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.

Upon arrival he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.

At this point we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game. CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow

This kind of behaviour, let them have the points. We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it’s not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us IF we continued.

We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with int. football."

See his post below:

12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.
— William Troost-Ekong (M.O.N) (@WTroostEkong) October 14, 2024