The Libyan Football Federation has countered claims making the rounds on social media that it is behind the flight challenges encountered by the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles.
News About Nigeria earlier reported that the Super Eagles were left stranded after the Nigerian aircraft, originally en route to Benghazi, was diverted to another city over a three-hour drive from the intended destination, just an hour before landing.
After the diversion, the Nigerian Super Eagles team, officials, and support staff were left stranded and subjected to unnecessary delays with no significant assistance from Libyan authorities, the hosts of the qualifying match.
Following this, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) decided that the team would not participate in Tuesday’s qualifying match against Libya.
However, reacting to this, the Libyan Football Federation noted that such flight challenges are not new as they can happen anywhere.
They further noted that they had faced a similar situation last week when they came to Nigeria but didn’t make a case out of it.
The statement reads, “We are deeply concerned about the recent reports surrounding the diversion of the Nigerian national team’s flight ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya. 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. 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.
“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 situation. It is important to highlight that just last week, our own national team faced significant challenges upon our arrival in Nigeria for the third match of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
“Despite the difficulties we encountered, we did not make public accusations nor question the integrity of the Nigerian authorities. Football, in its essence, unites nations, and we are committed to upholding the spirit of fairness and mutual respect both on and off the field.”
