Nigeria withdraws from Africa Cup of Nations qualifier after 16-hour airport delay in Libya

Nigeria's football team has withdrawn from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya after being stranded at a Libyan airport for over 16 hours, according to Reuters.

The Super Eagles were scheduled to face Libya in Benghazi on Tuesday, aiming to secure their spot in next year's finals in Morocco. However, the team’s captain and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced that the players would return home in protest over their treatment in Libya.

The issues began when the team’s flight was unexpectedly diverted to a small airport located far from their hotel.

“The chartered ValueJet flight was, oddly and dangerously, diverted to a remote airport as the pilot was about to land in Benghazi,” the NFF said in a statement.

No one was reportedly there to receive or transport the players and staff to their hotel, leaving them stranded and exhausted.

Nigeria striker Victor Boniface posted on X that he and his teammates were stuck at the airport for nearly 13 hours without access to food, WiFi, or proper rest facilities. "Africa, we can do better," he remarked.

The Libyan Football Federation denied any malicious intent, saying the incident was unintentional.

“We deeply respect our Nigerian counterparts and want to assure them that the flight diversion was not deliberate,” they stated. “We reject any accusations of foul play or sabotage. We hope this misunderstanding can be resolved with mutual respect and goodwill.”

The fate of the match’s points remains uncertain, with the issue likely to be reviewed by the Confederation of African Football’s Disciplinary Board, according to ESPN.