Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has condemned the treatment of Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team after they were stranded for over 12 hours at Al Abaq Airport in Libya. Originally scheduled to land in Benghazi for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, the team was redirected to Al Abaq, where they have been held without explanation.
In a series of tweets on Monday morning, Troost-Ekong described the situation as “disgraceful,” accusing the Libyan authorities of playing “mind games.” He revealed that the team is being kept 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 The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi without reason.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 highlighted the challenges faced by the Tunisian pilot who managed the unexpected change in destination but was later 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 has decided not to proceed with the scheduled match due to 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 traveling by road in Libya and expressed doubts about the quality of accommodation and food they would receive 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 traveled to Libya for the second leg of their AFCON qualifying tie against the Mediterranean Knights, having won the first leg 1-0 in Uyo on Friday. The Confederation of African Football has yet to respond to the 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.
