While the chaotic situation surrounding the Super Eagles being stranded in Abraq Airport in Libya continues to escalate, new insights are coming from prominent African sports blogger, Dr. Kelechi Anyikude.
Anyikude shed light on what happened when the Mediterranean Knights travelled to Nigeria for the first leg of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier, which they lost 1-0 to a Dele-Bashiru goal.
The Libya Situation as seen by Dr. Kelechi Anyikude
Dr. Anyikude said Nigeria is an exemplary host and does not resort to ‘dark arts’ to gain an advantage when playing football.
“We have never done it to Benin Republic when they landed in Uyo, we didn’t do it to Ghana, so it certainly won’t be Libya,” he added. With all due respect, Libya.”
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He said every time an away team comes to Nigeria they land in Uyo but the Libyan team decided to land in Port Harcourt to cut costs.
Libya’s Arrival and NFF’s Involvement
When Libya changed their travel plans, Dr. Anyikude explained how the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) also played a role.
The Libyan team, he said, informed the NFF an hour after take off that they would land in Port Harcourt rather than Uyo.
The NFF had arranged to fly them to Uyo upon arrival, but Libya’s contingent refused to pay the extra costs and the players ended up sitting on the tarmac, taking pictures to make a story of being mistreated.
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Ongoing Struggles and Potential Boycott
Expressing frustration, Anyikude noted that this is not an isolated incident, citing that Enyimba FC experienced a similar ordeal during a Confederation Cup match in Libya, where they were stranded at the airport for 24 hours.
The Super Eagles, now stranded for over 15 hours, have raised concerns about potentially boycotting the upcoming match due to the ongoing poor treatment.
The situation remains tense as the Nigerian squad faces significant logistical challenges ahead of their AFCON qualifier.
