The last is not yet heard of the ill-treatment and embarrassment of Nigeria’s national football team in Libya.
A chilling revelation from a circulating online video by the supposed pilot who flew the Nigerian Super Eagles team has shed light on the controversy surrounding their ill-treatment in Libya. The pilot’s account confirms that the diversion of the flight to Al-Abraq airport instead of the intended destination of Benghazi was deliberate and potentially risky.
“The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had the approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to do so,” the pilot explained in a video interview. “However, when we began our descent, they instructed us to divert to Al-Abraq, almost 150 miles away.”
The pilot emphasized that the decision was not made at his discretion but came from Libyan authorities, who claimed it was from the “highest authority.” He repeatedly questioned the directive, citing concerns about fuel calculations and safety.
“In aviation, we have our flight plan, we calculate the fuel to our destination, so we have to avoid this kind of thing because it may make a breach to safety,” he stated.
The pilot described the conditions at Al-Abraq as challenging, with no Instrument Landing System, air navigation approach, or VHF Omnidirectional Range. “We had to make a visual landing, which is particularly difficult by night with marginal weather,” he said.
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong had earlier condemned the treatment, calling it “disgraceful” and accusing Libyan authorities of playing “mind games.” The Nigerian Football Federation subsequently pulled out of the qualifier match against Libya.
In response, the Libyan Football Federation denied maltreating the Super Eagles and condemned Nigeria’s withdrawal from the match. “The Libyan Football Federation apologizes to Libyan football fans everywhere and to the parties concerned with the match arrangements due to the state of confusion caused by the Nigerian Football Federation,” the statement read.
The Nigerian government summoned Libyan Chargé d’affaires in Abuja to its Foreign Ministry yesterday, Monday. No further updates or decisions have been communicated regarding these latest developments.
Comment, Like 👍, share this article, and Follow us on our social media handles.
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
