Updated 15.45 | Published 11.37
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It storms in the qualifiers for the African championship.
This after Nigeria was stuck at an airport in Libya for over twelve hours.
Now the playing squad is threatening to boycott Tuesday’s match.
On Sunday afternoon, the Nigerian national team traveled to Libya, ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between the teams in the qualifiers for the African Championship.
When they landed at the airport in Al Abag, the misery began for the team. According to several Nigerian media, the team was detained at the airport after their plane landed. A way for the Libyan League to frustrate its opponents.
“They have locked the gates and left us without shelter, food or drink. Everything to get into our skulls,” writes team captain William Troost-Ekong on X.
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full screen Photo: William Troost-Ekong.
Will not play the match
Troost-Ekong called the behavior scandalous, and that they took the help of Nigerian authorities to get help. In addition, the player squad has decided to boycott the qualifying meeting.
“Together we have decided not to play this match. The African Union must look into what has happened here. If they allow this behavior, let Libya get all three points,” he writes.
Troost-Ekong has also shared photos of his teammates sleeping at the airport. By then the team had been at the airport for over twelve hours.
“This is getting scary”
The Nigerian Confederation has not officially come out with a boycott of the match. However, doctors and team managers must also have recommended them not to come to the game.
Later on Monday, Victor Boniface wrote the following on X:
“This is getting scary. You can get the points. We just want to go back to our country”.
Whether the team had then left the airport, and which situation he specifically refers to, is unclear.
Troost-Ekong announced at 2 p.m. Swedish time that their flight would shortly leave Libya, to take the team back to Nigeria.
The African Union is aware of the situation and must be in contact with the Libyan Confederation.
