Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has condemned the poor treatment of the Nigerian national team by Libyan authorities after being stranded at Al Abaq Airport for over 12 hours on Sunday.
Originally scheduled to land in Benghazi for their 2025 AFCON qualifier, the team’s flight was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abaq, where they were left without explanation or assistance.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Troost-Ekong called the situation “disgraceful,” accusing Libyan officials of playing “mind games.” The team was held in an abandoned airport with no access to food, water, or phone service.
“12+ hours stranded in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted. The Libyan government revoked our approved landing in Benghazi without reason, locked the gates, and left us without communication, food, or water. It’s all mind games,” he wrote.
He added that the Tunisian pilot, who managed the sudden change, was also denied hotel accommodations under government orders. While the pilot rested at the airport, Nigerian crew members were forced to sleep on the plane.
Troost-Ekong urged the Nigerian government to intervene, stating, “We will NOT play this game,” and called for the team to be rescued.
The Super Eagles had traveled to Libya for the second leg of their AFCON qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights after a 1-0 win in the first leg in Uyo.
