Nottingham Forest players Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi have both been a part of the Nigeria squad
left stranded in a Libyan airport for 12 hours
Nottingham Forest players Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi are among the Nigeria squad members who have decided to
boycott Tuesday night’s game against Libya after being delayed in a Libyan airport for up to 12 hours with no
communication from their hosts.
The Super Eagles defeated Libya 1-0 at Uyo in Friday’s AFCON qualifier, with to a late goal from Fisayo Dele-
Bashiru, Forest representatives. Aina played the entire match, with Awoniyi coming on as a substitute, and they were
scheduled to play the reverse matchup in Benghazi on Tuesday night.
The Nigerian squad, which included Aina and Awoniyi as well as fellow Premier League stars Calvin Bassey, Alex
Iwobi, and Wilfred Ndidi, had their flight diverted to Al Abraq, approximately three hours from the players’ hotel,
and they were left to wait at the airport for 12 hours without a welcome party from their Libyan counterparts.
The NFF has issued a statement announcing the squad’s plan to boycott and expressing their displeasure at being
put in uncertainty. The statement read: “Super Eagles are still at Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after landing in Libya!”
“Nigeria’s delegation for Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier versus Libya remained at Al Abraq Airport 12 hours after
arriving in Libya. The rented ValueJet aircraft was mysteriously and dangerously diverted to a small airport outside
of Benghazi just as the pilot was finishing his approach to Benghazi Airport. We hear that the Al Abraq International
Airport is only used for Hajj activities.
“Fatigued players and officials have remained nonplussed as the host Libyan Football Federation failed to send any
reception team or even vehicles to take the delegation members from the airport to their hotel, said to be 3 hours
away in Benghazi.”The NFF had planned separate vehicles for the crew, but the diversion of the aircraft threw the
plan off track. Players have decided not to play the match any longer since NFF officials are planning to fly the team
back home.”
Aina took to Instagram, along with a number of other Super Eagles players, to express his dissatisfaction and
demand that the Confederation of African Football take action: “You need to do better; these countries here can’t
host matches nor behave themselves appropriately or equitably. “Give them the boot!”
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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