The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been stuck at Abraq International Airport in Libya, with less than 48 hours till their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights on Tuesday. The Nigerian contingent departed Uyo for Libya on Sunday morning.
However, sports journalist Tobi Adepoju revealed in a post on Sunday night that the Super Eagles dilemma began when the host country made a last-minute change to their chartered flight.
He claimed that the federation has obtained permission for the team’s jet to land in Benghazi, only a short distance from the Benina Stadium, where the match is scheduled to take place. However, in the middle of the trip, the plane was redirected to Abraq International Airport, which is significantly farther away.
“The agreement and approval the NFF obtained was for the chartered flight to land in Benghazi, but the plane was unexpectedly diverted to Abraq,” Adepoju wrote.
To make matters worse, while the NFF’s transport arrangements were already in place in Benghazi, no buses were provided by the Libyan Football Association at Abraq to transport the team to their destination.
As a result, the team’s contingent has been left stranded at the airport, with the gates locked, preventing them from leaving. A video of the team seated in the waiting hall of Abraq Airport has gone viral on social media.
Another video from NFF TV has also gained popularity, showing some of the Nigerian officials speaking to the airport authorities regarding the closed gate. Nigeria leads Group D with seven points after defeating Tuesday’s hosts 1–0 in the reverse fixture in Uyo on Saturday.
