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The Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Libya and Nigeria was canceled after Nigerian footballers boycotted the match, denouncing inhumane treatment at the airport in Libya, with hours of waiting without food or communication.
The Libya-Nigeria match, valid for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, was canceled due to a protest by the Nigerian national team against the treatment suffered upon arrival in Libya. Nigeria’s footballers were held at the airport for more than 12 hours, without access to food, drink or means of communication, after their flight was diverted to a different stop than the scheduled one. Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, publicly denounced the situation, declaring that the team had decided to boycott the match in protest.
Troost-Ekong said the treatment appeared to be a form of psychological pressure, adding that the team had requested intervention from the Nigerian government and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Other footballers, such as Victor Boniface and Ndidi, shared images and videos of the team stuck in the airport on social media, complaining that the Libyan police were preventing them from leaving.
Even Victor Osimhen, although not summoned, expressed his indignation, asking the authorities to intervene to resolve the situation. In response, the Nigerian Football Federation decided to repatriate the team and lodged a formal protest with CAF, calling for sanctions against Libya.
Former international Victor Ikpeba has called for drastic measures, arguing that Libya should be banned from international competitions. The situation could be a response to what was reported by Libya during the first leg match in Nigeria, when the Libyan team suffered delays and mistreatment. At the moment, the Libyan authorities have not released any official statements regarding the incident.
