The Nigerian Super Eagles, en route to an AFCON 2025 qualifier, found themselves stranded at Al Abraq Airport in Libya for over 13 hours after their flight was unexpectedly diverted.
The team, originally scheduled to land in Benghazi, was rerouted to a remote airport, resulting in a distressing situation for the players and staff.
Victor Boniface, the Bayer Leverkusen forward, took to social media to express the team’s frustration over their poor treatment.
He tweeted: “Been at the airport for almost 13 hours, no food, no Wi-Fi, nowhere to sleep. Africa, we can do better @CAF.”
9News reports that the team had no access to food or accommodations, leaving them exhausted and unsettled just hours before their scheduled match.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that the sudden diversion disrupted their pre-arranged transportation plans.
Despite efforts, the Libyan authorities failed to provide necessary support for the Nigerian delegation.
Following this ordeal, the Super Eagles have opted not to participate in the upcoming match, focusing instead on returning to Nigeria.