By Our Reporter
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have officially withdrawn from their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Libya, citing “threats to life and hostilities” in the host country.
The announcement was made on Monday morning via an Instagram story by team captain William Troost-Ekong. He explained that the decision stemmed from safety concerns following the team’s arrival that evening.
“We’ve maintained our spirits, but these are unacceptable conditions. Traveling by road is unsafe, and we can only imagine the treatment we’d receive at the hotel or the quality of food provided. It was amusing at first, but we respect ourselves, and under these circumstances, we won’t play,” he stated.
Troost-Ekong’s remarks were corroborated by a statement from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), which detailed the team’s troubling experience at Al Abraq Airport, where they remained stranded for 12 hours after their chartered flight was unexpectedly diverted from Benghazi Airport.
The NFF confirmed that the players have decided not to participate in the match, and plans are underway to return the team home. This match was set to be the fourth in Nigeria’s campaign to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.