Libya Captain Narrates How His Team Was ‘Poorly Treated’ When They Arrived in Nigeria

Libya Captain Narrates How His Team Was ‘Poorly Treated’ When They Arrived in Nigeria

  • The Super Eagles of Nigeria were held hostage for 16 hours at Al Abaq International Airport in Libya
  • This came after the Libyans alleged their Nigerian counterpart of ill-treatment during their visit
  • The Mediterranean Knights captain, Faisal Al-Badri, narrated their ill-fated travel experience to Akwa-Ibom state

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Libyan national team captain narrated his team's ordeal in Nigeria for the AFCON 2025 qualifier first leg and it has now resurfaced after they had their revenge on the Super Eagles.

The two nations were scheduled to clash in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers doubleheader, with the first leg in Uyo and the return leg in Benghazi.

Libyan players sleeping on the floor at Nigerian airport.
Libya players sleeping on the floor at a Nigerian airport. Photo from @Lyobserver.
Source: Twitter

Nigeria won the first leg at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo 1-0 courtesy of Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru's late strike despite the Libyans's dark antics.

Read also

Details of harrowing experience Super Eagles faced in botched Libya journey, Video

Libya captain accuses NFF

As noted by AIT, Faisal Al-Badri accused Nigeria of frustrating their travel plans and putting them through stress when they travelled to Nigeria for the first leg match.

“Our luggage was searched inside the plane for an hour, and we were also delayed in transportation from one city to another for three hours, even though we travelled on a private plane, and there was an airport close to the city we wanted to play in,” a part of his statement reads.

He added that his team was provided with non-airconditioned buses and minimal security detail after hours of waiting, which made their journey extra stressful.

These claims were dismissed by the Nigerian Football Federation which claimed the Libyans failed to be transparent with their itinerary, frustrating plans made in Uyo.

Read also

Troost Ekong: Super Eagles captain releases statement after team arrives in Nigeria

As seen in a post on Facebook by Libya News Today 1, the North Africans threatened retaliation against the Super Eagles, which they have now acted on, holding the Eagles hostage for over 16 hours.

Ekong reacts to Super Eagles ordeal

YEN.com.gh reported that Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong reacted to Libya's inhumane treatment of the Nigerian national team at the Al Abaq airport.

Ekong narrated the incident on his social media pages and confirmed that the team would not play as the team were planning on their return back to Nigeria.

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Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Richard Nutakor avatar

Richard Nutakor (Sports Editor) Richard Nutakor is a digital media enthusiast with over 8 years of working experience in media and digital marketing. He's worked with notable media brands in Ghana like Media General, owners of TV3 Ghana, 3FM, Onua FM & Connect FM. He's also worked with Global Media Alliance as a Digital Account Manager. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Ghana in 2016 and a Masters in Brands and Communication Management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. Email: richard.kekeli@sportsbrief.com