Nigeria’s Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has strongly criticized the treatment of the national team after they were stranded for over 12 hours at Libya’s Al Abaq Airport.
Originally scheduled to land in Benghazi for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, the team was redirected to Al Abaq without explanation.
In a series of early morning tweets on Monday, Troost-Ekong described the situation as “disgraceful” and accused Libyan authorities of playing “mind games.”
He revealed that the team is being held in an abandoned airport with no access to “food, drink, or phone connections.”
“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 The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi without reason.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.
“I’ve experienced issues before while playing away in Africa, but this is disgraceful behaviour,” he wrote.
Troost-Ekong also mentioned the difficulties faced by the Tunisian pilot, who managed the unexpected change in destination but was subsequently refused accommodation for his crew under government orders.
While the pilot could rest at the airport, Nigerian crew members were not allowed to stay, forcing them to sleep on the plane.
“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,” he wrote.
“Upon arrival, he tried to find a nearby hotel to rest with his crew but was denied at every hotel, again under government instruction. He could sleep there, but no Nigerian crew members were allowed. They have now returned to sleep on the plane, which is parked up,” Troost-Ekong added.
The captain stated that the team had decided not to proceed with the scheduled match, citing safety concerns.
“We will NOT play this game,” he declared, urging the Nigerian government to intervene and rescue the stranded team.
He questioned the safety of travelling by road in Libya and expressed doubts about the quality of accommodation and food they would be provided if they continued with the fixture.
He stated, “We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen, but these deliberate actions have nothing to do with international football.”
The Super Eagles had initially travelled to Libya for the second leg of their AFCON qualifying tie against the Mediterranean Knights, having secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg in Uyo on Friday.
The Confederation of African Football is yet to respond to the unfolding situation.
The Super Eagles media team confirmed on Sunday night that players and officials were held hostage by Libyan authorities upon their arrival at Al Abaq Airport.
