By Nick Said
(Reuters) – Nigeria have threatened to boycott their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya on Tuesday after being stranded for hours at an airport far from their destination where players said they lacked provisions and comfort.
The Super Eagles are due to play hosts Libya in the city of Benghazi, where they could seal a qualification berth for the finals in Morocco late next year.
The Nigeria Football Federation said that as the team’s charter flight was descending to Benghazi, it was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport almost 250 km (155 miles) away with no alternative transport offered.
“Once we landed, they’ve kept us in this abandoned airport for over 12 hours now without any provisions. I have experienced stuff before playing away in Africa, but this is disgraceful behaviour,” captain William Troost-Ekong said on X.
“As the captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will not play this game.”
‘AFRICA, WE CAN DO BETTER’
The Libyan Football Federation said the incident was not deliberate and urged Nigeria to be understanding.
“We have the utmost respect for our Nigerian counterparts and want to reassure them that the diversion of their flight was not intentional,” it said, adding that disruptions can occur from routine air traffic protocols, security checks or other logistical challenges.
“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation. We hope that this misunderstanding can be resolved with understanding and goodwill.”
Nigeria striker Victor Boniface complained he had been stuck at the airport for almost 13 hours with no food, WiFi or place to sleep. “Africa, we can do better,” he said on X.
Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Uyo on Friday thanks to a late goal from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, taking them to seven points from three games in their group.
Benin have six points, Rwanda two and Libya one. The top two teams in each pool advance to the 24-team finals.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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