October 14, (THEWILL) – Ahmed Musa and Victor Osimhen have spoken out against the mistreatment of the Super Eagles in Libya. Musa, the former team captain, expressed his disappointment on social media platform, X, calling for CAF to intervene and investigate the incident. Osimhen, unable to join the team due to an injury, described the situation as “more like a hostage situation” and voiced his support for the team’s decision not to play.
The Super Eagles faced a harrowing experience when their chartered ValueJet aircraft was diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, leaving them stranded for over 12 hours. Team captain William Troost-Ekong stated that under these “unacceptable conditions,” the team would not play, citing concerns about their safety and treatment.
Nigerian government officials have strongly condemned the incident. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), emphasised that the safety of the Nigerian delegation is of utmost importance. She urged the Minister of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to address the situation promptly.
The incident has raised significant concerns about the safety of travelling to Libya for international football matches. Dabiri-Erewa noted that Libya is not a safe place to visit, especially by road, underscoring the seriousness of the situation faced by the Super Eagles.
As of the time of filing this report, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident. However, many in the football community anticipate a response from the governing body soon, given the gravity of the situation and its potential implications for future international matches in the region.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
