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After the ensuing conflict in Libya, some of the players and officials of the Nigeria national football team, the Super Eagles, are set to fly back from Libya.
This comes after the Libyan government succumbed to pressure from external bodies, to refuel the Super Eagles’ chartered jet and clear their airspace.
The Nigerian players were abandoned at the Al Abraq International Airport without food, water or Internet for over 15 hours.
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But they are now enroute Nigeria, as confirmed by sports journalist Adepoju Tobi Samuel, popularly known as OgaNlaMedia.
He wrote on X: “After pressure from several quarters, the Libyan government has agreed to issue clearance for ValueJet Airline to fly and sell aviation fuel to the airline.
“They came with a gimmick to issue a pre-clearance to land in Benghazi first before we fly to Nigeria. The same Benghazi that was busy yesterday.
“The NFF has insisted that the clearance from Al-Abraq airport must be for the team to fly directly to Nigeria.”
The Libyan Football Federation has also issued a statement denying any targeted inhumane treatment of Nigeria’s Super Eagles delegation, which arrived in Libya for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier match Sunday night.
Following widespread outrage, the Libyan FA acknowledged the incident and sought to offer clarifications on its position:
“While we regret any inconvenience caused, it is essential to note that such incidents can occur due to routine air traffic control protocols, security checks, or logistical challenges that affect international air travel.
The federation emphasised that these procedures are standard worldwide and not uncommon.
“These are standard procedures at airports worldwide, and delays or rerouting, though unfortunate, are not uncommon. We have the utmost respect for our Nigerian counterparts and want to reassure them that the diversion of their flight was not intentional..”
They reassured their Nigerian counterparts that the diversion was not intentional and rejected claims of foul play or sabotage.
“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident. Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.
“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situatio.”
The Libyan FA highlighted a similar experience faced by their own national team upon arrival in Nigeria, where they chose not to make public accusations.
