Marco Silva went on to describe the conduct of Libyan authorities as “unprofessional and abnormal”
By Kehinde Okeowo
Fulham boss, Marco Silva has berated Libyan authorities for the inhuman treatment meted out to two of his players, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey during the October international break.
TheNiche had earlier reported that the duo and their Super Eagles teammates travelled to Libya for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match that was due to hold in Benghazi last Tuesday.
However, the airplane conveying the players and their technical crew was diverted to a smaller airport in Al Abraq and they were held hostage for over 14 hours without food, water and Internet.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later intervened and cancelled the encounter after the players and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had decided to boycott the match.
Reacting to the development ahead of Fulham‘s Premier League tie with Aston Villa on Saturday, Silva told reporters that the conduct of the Libyan authorities was “unprofessional and abnormal”.
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Speaking on what Iwobi and Bassey went through in Libya, he said, “It’s another example of mixed feelings and balance because when the players go to their national teams to play for their countries, to be proud of that moment, we all expect, firstly, that they come in healthy to play the next match for us.
“Secondly that they can perform at a good level, to help them, and to keep their fitness, their momentum as well.
“And for sure, it was not a moment that Calvin, Alex and their teammates enjoyed for sure [at Libya]. It’s not something professional, it’s not something normal.
“It’s not something that should be involved in football, to be honest.”
He added, “They are back again with us. The first two days were tough for them to recover from everything but they are going to be ready [for the Aston Villa clash] for sure.”
