Hours after being held hostage at an airport in Libya, the Nigerian national male football team, Super Eagles, and other members of the coaching crew as well as officials have started returning home following the cancellation of their 2025 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against their host in Benghazi.
The Nigerian team is leaving the country barely 24 hours before their AFCON qualifying match against Libya, a match that was expected to be the team’s fourth game on the 2025 AFCON qualifiers log, but has suffered setbacks following Super Eagles decision to pull out over alleged poor arrangements by their host.
Confirming the team’s departure plans, the Super Eagles captain, Williams Troost-Ekong, said that the team has started preparing to leave the country for Nigeria.
In a short statement on his official social media handle, he said: “Power of social media. Apparently, our plane is being fueled as we speak and we should be leaving for Nigeria shortly. Thanks for everyone’s support!
“I reiterate: We would never treat a guest nation for a game in this way. Mistakes happen, delays happen. But never on purpose”.
