Super Eagles ordeal in Libya: Tinubu demands justice as players return
By Emma Ogbuehi
Following the nightmarish ordeal of players of Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles in Libya, President Bola Tinubu has called on the Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate action against those who wilfully violated the organisation’s Statutes and Regulations.
Tinubu, who is holidaying in France, made the call in a statement by his Media Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday.
Tinubu’s intervention is coming on the heels of the safe arrival of the Super Eagles in Nigeria after their ordeal in Libya where they were scheduled to play a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The players and officials were stranded for about 13 hours at a Libyan airport ahead of the game which was supposed to take place on Tuesday. Photos of the team sleeping on benches went viral early Monday, prompting condemnation.
But hours later, the team landed in Kano after Libyan authorities cleared their flight to take off.
But President said the unfortunate saga must be thoroughly investigated.
The statement by Bayo Onanuga reads:
“President Bola Tinubu, deeply moved by the inhuman treatment endured by the Super Eagles of Nigeria at a Libyan airport, warmly welcomes their safe return to Nigeria.
“The harrowing experience of the national football team at the hands of their hosts and the Libyan authorities prompted the Nigerian Football Federation to withdraw the Super Eagles from the scheduled match on Tuesday.
“President Tinubu expects the Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate action against those who wilfully violated the organisation’s Statutes and Regulations.
“The President commends the proactive coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development in addressing the unfortunate episode and ensuring the safe return of our players.
“President Tinubu applauds the players for keeping their spirit alive despite the excruciating ordeal in Libya.
“The Nigerian leader recognises football’s unifying power in bringing nations and people together and views the treatment of our citizens as unsportsmanlike and inhumane, a stark contrast to the spirit of the game he deeply appreciates.
“He fervently calls on all lovers of the round-leather game and administrators to unite and work collaboratively to prevent and overcome such incidents in the future.”
The Nigerian players and officials had landed in the North African country ahead of the match. But their flight was rerouted from Benghazi where the game was meant to hold.
They were denied access to food and other supplies with some members of the team taking to social media to lament about the incident.
That prompted condemnation across the globe with Nigerian authorities describing the incident as “unfortunate”.
The Minister of Sports Development John Enoh likened it to an “almost hostage” situation and said the Super Eagles were no longer taking part in the game.
“To say the least, they face an almost ‘hostage’ situation. These are sportsmen set to compete in an AFCON qualifying match come Tuesday!” he said.
“For now, our primary concern is the safety of the members of our national team. With the events of the past hours, their safety is not guaranteed and the team insists they’re unable to go ahead with the match not just because of the trauma and consequent psychological torture but also because of fear for their safety.”
Meanwhile, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has denied accusations of wrong-doings and claim its team faced a similar situation when they played the Super Eagles in the first leg of the encounter last week.
“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,” the LFF said and linked the delay to logistical issues and other challenges.
But the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) had said it was going to probe the “disturbing conditions” after reaching out to the Nigerian and Libyan authorities.
“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations,” CAF said.
