Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has condemned the harsh treatment faced by the Super Eagles and officials upon their arrival in Libya on October 13 for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group D qualifier.
The national team, initially bound for Benghazi, was abruptly diverted to Al Abraq Airport, a remote location hours away from their intended destination, without proper safety measures in place.
The players and officials were left stranded for over 15 hours in deplorable conditions, with no food, accommodation, or basic amenities, while being closely guarded by Libyan security forces.
In a statement on Monday, Enoh described the situation as “almost a hostage situation,” adding that the team spent the night in a mosquito-infested environment without external support.
The minister disclosed that the matter had been escalated to various authorities, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Adviser, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Amaju Pinnick, a CAF executive member.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, who is with the team in Libya, is also involved in efforts to resolve the issue.
Enoh took a swipe at CAF President Patrice Motsepe, criticising him for prioritising the continuation of the match over the team’s safety.
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He insisted that Nigeria could not participate under such adverse conditions and instructed the NFF president to lodge a formal complaint with CAF.
“Our primary concern is the safety of the national team,” Enoh said.
“With the traumatic experience and the obvious risks, the players have made it clear that they cannot go ahead with the match.
The government of Nigeria expects CAF to focus on ensuring the team’s safe return rather than forcing the match to proceed.”
The minister also warned that the Libyan football authorities should face consequences for the mistreatment of the Super Eagles, stressing that the situation must be thoroughly investigated and addressed.
The incident adds to ongoing concerns about the treatment of visiting teams in Libya. Last month, Rwanda also reported poor conditions during their AFCON qualifier.
Meanwhile, the Libyan side had previously complained about their experience in Nigeria during the first leg in Uyo, where they lost 1-0.