It's the international break and various countries are are playing intercontinental matches. They are playing for either qualification for a tournament or trying to win one. Either way, playing these matches requires travelling. For the most part, nothing drastic happens. However, this past weekend stirred up a controversy.
Over this past weekend, Nigeria was set to travel to face Libya in an AFCON (African Cup of Nations) qualifier. The 2023 AFCON runners-up were due to land at Benghazi airport for Tuesday night's Group D encounter but the pilot of their aircraft was told to land at Al Abraq Airport in Bayda.
Players remained in the departures lounge for more than 16 hours before returning to Nigeria and boycotting the game. "The matter has been referred to the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) disciplinary board for investigation," said a spokesperson for the confederations.
"Appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the confederation's statutes and regulations." On Friday night, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru scored in the closing stages to secure Nigeria's victory and keep them top of the four team pool with three of the six matches played. The defeat left Libya rooted to the bottom with one point out of a possible nine.
Before the clash in Uyo, southern Nigeria, the Libyan team accused Nigerian customs officials of excessive scrutiny. Skipper, Faisal Al-Badri, said the players were delayed for several hours during luggage checks. Nigerian authorities have denied accusations of maltreatment.
On Monday, Nigeria captain, William Troost-Ekong, suggested an element of tit-for-tat. "The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason."
"They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games. As the captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will not play this game."
Troost-Ekong had said the team would not make a three-hour bus ride from Al-Abraq to Benina, where the qualifier was scheduled to be played on Tuesday, for safety reasons.
"As the team captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game," he posted on social media. Let them have the points. We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it's not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us if we continued."
Nigeria was scheduled to play against Libya tonight for the AFCON qualifier but the Nigerian side boycotted the game after facing problems getting into the country and were stuck at Al Abaq Airport.
CAF, The governing African Footballing body, announced on Monday it would investigate the debacle. "CAF has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it was informed the Nigerian National Football Team and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions," it said.
They confirmed the matter was referred to the CAF disciplinary board for investigation, emphasising "appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the Caf statutes and regulations."
CAF said they viewed, "The disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team at an airport in Libya in a very serious light."
The statement added that CAF had been in contact with both the Libyan and Nigerian authorities. "Appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations" the statement concluded
In light of the circumstances, the Super Eagles decided to withdraw from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, citing the poor treatment received while stranded.
"We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with international football," Troost-Ekong said.
Nigeria Striker, Victor Boniface, said, "Been at the airport for almost 13 hours. No food, no Wi-Fi and nowhere to sleep. Africa, we can do better."
Nigeria Goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, posted a photo of himself sleeping in the airport. "Over 14 hours spent at an abandoned Libyan airport. No food, no water, no internet access prior to mind games on a match expected to be played tomorrow. No, this is absolutely crazy. Caf please do the needful."
Pictures posted online by the Nigeria players showed some of them lying on airport seats, their luggage beside them and with no other passengers in sight.
Nigerian minister of sports development, John Owan Enoh, condemned the treatment of the team. "I strongly condemn the obnoxious treatment meted on players and officials of the senior national team. All through the night, I have escalated the matter and involved all necessary authorities."
"The team have succinctly stated they’ve been unattended to for upwards of about 15 hours since arrival, with no food and no accommodation and left in a mosquito-infested environment. They face an almost 'hostage' situation. These are sportsmen set to compete in an AFCON qualifying match. For now, our primary concern is the safety of the members of our national team," he said.
In response to Nigeria's withdrawal, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) expressed dissatisfaction, vowing to take legal action. They accused the Nigerian Football Federation of failing to co-operate in organising the match.
"The LFF condemns the measures taken by the Nigerian Football Federation by refusing to play the Libya-Nigeria match in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers scheduled for October 15," the statement read.
The LFF said it regretted the flight diversion. "It is essential to note that such incidents can occur due to routine air traffic control protocols, security checks or logistical challenges that affect international air travel."
On Tuesday, Libyan football chiefs said they expected the game to go ahead. Sharing several images on social media of their players' training session, the LFF wrote: "Some may be used to putting up obstacles before the match but here in the heart of Benghazi, specifically on the grounds of the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, there is no room for excuses after the starting whistle."
The federation also expressed on X that they faced a similar situation in Nigeria this month. "There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the LFF of deliberately orchestrating this incident. Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles,” it said.
"We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation. It is important to highlight that last week our own national team faced significant challenges on our arrival in Nigeria for the third match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification."
Amid the controversy, LFF president, Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, has officially resigned.
“I no longer wish to be associated with the failure of Libyan sports. I extend my gratitude to all members of the general assembly and hold no grudges against anyone in the sports sector,” he said during the federation’s general assembly meeting.
To me, this sounds like the plot of, The Terminal. It's a 2004 movie starring Tom Hanks where he is stuck in an airport due to a war. The circumstances surrounding this story is unacceptable from my vantage point. Extra measures should've been taken to make sure that the Nigerian players arrived and got transported to the necessary places in a swift manner. Nobody should ever be exposed to the kind of treatment the players went through.