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The players from the Nigerian football team refused to play their FIFA World Cup African qualifiers fixture against Libya. The match was scheduled to take place at Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi on October 16. The team went back to Nigeria and will not be seen playing against Libya. The Nigerian players were held hostage at an abandoned airport in Libya after their flight diverted on Sunday. The Nigerian team was supposed to land in Benghazi.
However the plane was diverted to Al Abraq, 230km (143 miles) away from their intended destination. Nigerian players were unhappy with this kind of hospitality. Nigeria sent a formal complaint to Confederation of African football (CAF). The disciplinary board is currently investigating the incident. Skipper William Troost-Ekong also said that the player will not take a three-hour to travel from Al-Abraq to Benina due to safety reasons.
Let them have the points: Nigerian football captain
Nigerian football team captain William Troost-Ekong said that the team will not accept to travel by road due to safety reasons. “This kind of behaviour, 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,” Ekong posted on his social media.
“2+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason.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” Ekong wrote in another social media post.
