Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has strongly criticised the treatment of Nigeria’s national football team after they were stranded for over 12 hours at Al Abaq Airport in Libya.
The team was originally scheduled to land in Benghazi ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. But that did not happen.
The Super Eagles were unexpectedly redirected to Al Abaq, where they were held without any explanation or communication from local authorities.
Exceptionally Appalling
In a series of tweets posted early on Monday morning, Troost-Ekong described the ordeal as “disgraceful”.
However, he accused Libyan authorities of deliberately creating a hostile environment as part of psychological “mind games”.
Also, he expressed his frustration over the team’s prolonged stay at what he referred to as an abandoned airport.
“12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted whilst descending.
“The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi without reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without a phone connection, food, or drink.
“All to play mind games,” the captain wrote.
Troost-Ekong went on to say that although he has encountered difficult situations during away games in Africa before, this particular experience stood out as exceptionally appalling.
He expressed deep concern over the apparent disregard for their welfare.
The Flight Crew
Also, he noted that it wasn’t just the team that was affected but also the flight crew.
Also, he revealed that the Tunisian pilot faced further challenges, as his crew was denied accommodation by Libyan authorities and had no choice but to sleep on the plane.
Nigerian crew members faced similar treatment, with no alternative arrangements made for them either.
“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 anything like this before,” Troost-Ekong shared.
Citing serious concerns over safety and the lack of basic provisions, Troost-Ekong announced that the team had decided to forgo the match.
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“We will NOT play this game,” He declared.
Also, he urges the Nigerian government to intervene urgently and secure their safe passage out of the country.
