There should be consequences for Libya’s horrible behaviour
We condemn in the strongest terms the ill-treatment meted to the Super Eagles of Nigeria by the Libyan authorities, prompting the abandonment of Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifying match. The Super Eagles had left Nigeria via Kano on Sunday but were left stranded at the Al Abaq Airport for over 15 hours by Libyan officials who strangely diverted the flight from Benghazi and forced the pilot to land in the evening at a distant destination. And this is despite the fact that the Al Abaq Airport lacked the control navigators for landing at such hours. The Nigeria delegation comprising 22 players and accompanying officials, and some selected journalists were also refused airport protocol, including security, food, water and immigration clearance.
Due to the hostility of the Libyan authorities, the Super Eagles players and the accompanying officials were forced to sleep overnight on bare couches in the arrival hall of an abandoned airport. This provocative act of the Libyan authorities is inhumane, condemnable and an orchestrated assault on our collective pride and sovereignty. The sight of our players sleeping rough on airport benches is unpardonable. The Tunisian pilot has explained how he was instructed to divert the plane to a different location and how the passengers were at risk as the fuel had been carefully calculated for the original destination. All efforts to explain this to the Libyan officials, according to the pilot, were met with a strong insistence that the order came from the highest authority and must be followed.
There is no justification whatsoever for the Libyan action against a visiting national team. After initially apologising for their lapses, the Libyan Football authority is now concocting stories of a similar experience in Nigeria. That is not only an afterthought but a silly excuse for what can now be presumed to be premeditated. It is clear that the Libyan authorities acted in bad faith and there should be consequences for their bad behaviour. Therefore, Nigeria must apply the rule of force majeure to get Libya sanctioned for this unconscionable act. And the major demands from CAF should include the forfeiture of the three points by Libya, in addition to having their national team thrown out from the 2025 African Nations Cup campaign.
It is noteworthy that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has waded into the bizarre treatment and has already referred the matter to a disciplinary board. Football authorities on the continent must ensure that countries known for violent conducts to visiting teams must be made to play away from their home to serve as deterrent. In 2021, the Libyan football authority switched off the light inside the stadium where the Nigerian team, Rivers United FC were training ahead of their match the next day. Such conducts have no place in civilised environment where the ‘Beautiful Game’ acts more as unifying factor. Both CAF and FIFA do not have to wait till people are killed before taking drastic actions against such gamesmanship for which Libya has become notorious.
One lesson that must be taken away from this Libyan Airport Siege is that both FIFA and CAF need to come up with strict measures to curb the type of situation just witnessed. It was by providence that nothing untoward happened to the players and officials. Given that there are two administrations in Libya with Benghazi under the control of self-imposed elements as against the other faction under the control of the United Nations, anything could have happened to the delegation. While Libya may be attempting a cover-up for their irresponsible behaviour, we appeal to the Nigerian government not to take this provocation from a fellow African country lightly.
