Nigeria Boycotts AFCON Qualifier Against Libya Over ‘Inhumane Treatment

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced plans to fly the team back home on Monday, following what they described as “inhumane treatment” in Libya ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

The Nigerian squad was stranded at an abandoned airport in Libya for over 15 hours after their chartered flight landed on Sunday. In response, the NFF lodged a formal complaint with the Confederation of African Football (CAF). However, the Nigerian embassy in Libya was reportedly unable to intervene as they required permission from the Libyan government.

Team captain William Troost-Ekong confirmed that the players had resolved not to play the match, refusing to make the three-hour bus trip from Al-Abraq to Benina, where the qualifier was set for Tuesday, due to security concerns. “As the team captain, along with the team, we’ve decided we will NOT play this game,” Troost-Ekong posted on social media. “They can have the points. We won’t risk travelling by road here, even with security—it’s unsafe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like if we continued.”

“Players have decided to abandon the match as NFF officials make plans to bring the team back home,” added NFF’s director of communications, Ademola Olajire.

Victor Ikpeba, former African Footballer of the Year, who travelled with the team, called for tough sanctions against Libya and supported the boycott. “If CAF is serious, Libya should be banned from international football,” Ikpeba told AFP. “This is a dangerous country, and it’s baffling that Libya is even allowed to host games. I played for the Super Eagles for 10 years, and I’ve never seen anything like what we’ve experienced in Libya.”

He went on, “The team isn’t safe, and neither are we, the officials traveling with them. We were trapped at an abandoned airport for over 10 hours, treated like hostages. The team will not play this match.”

Following this, Troost-Ekong provided another update on social media, hinting that fuel needed for their plane might have been intentionally withheld to delay their departure.

The Libyan Football Federation has strongly denied all allegations, blaming the situation on a “misunderstanding.” In a statement on X, they said: “We completely reject any claims of foul play or sabotage. It’s important to note that just last week, our own national team faced similar challenges when we arrived in Nigeria for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.”

Nigeria leads Group D with seven points from three matches, while Libya sits at the bottom with just one point.