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Libya's warm welcome to Ghana's Black Stars in contrast to Nigeria’s Super Eagles has raised eyebrows ahead of the crucial AFCON 2025 qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.
Both Ghana and Nigeria are set to play their matchday four fixtures on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in Libya, but the treatment of the two teams could not be more different.
While Ghana's Black Stars landed without issue in Benghazi, where they are set to face Sudan at the Martyrs of February Stadium, Nigeria’s Super Eagles encountered unexpected difficulties. Sudan, unable to play at home due to ongoing civil war, has adopted Libya’s Benghazi as their temporary base.
The Nigerian squad, originally scheduled to land in Benghazi for their match against hosts Libya, saw their flight diverted to an airport 240 kilometres away.
According to Nigerian team spokesman Promise Efoghe, the plane was rerouted just an hour before landing, leading to confusion and an expected two-hour drive from Al Abraq Airport to Benghazi.
“About an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching Benghazi was diverted to another city more than a two-hour drive from the original destination,” Efoghe said.
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Libyan authorities were unavailable for comment on the sudden diversion.
However, local media cited a “technical failure in the airport system” as the reason for the diversion that took the Nigerian delegation to Al Abraq Airport where the team has been stranded for over 12 hours.
Strangely, this supposed technical issue did not affect Ghana or Sudan, both of whom landed in Benghazi without incident and were swiftly processed through immigration.
https://twitter.com/GhanaBlackstars/status/1845588637460963645
In response to the treatment, the Nigeria Football Federation has decided to pull the Super Eagles from the scheduled match against Libya, stating the team will leave Libya without playing the fixture.
The match between Ghana and Sudan remains on schedule, as the Black Stars prepare for their showdown at 2 p.m., while Nigeria was expected to face Libya at 8 p.m. at the same venue.
However, it now appears the Super Eagles will not take the field in Libya after the unsettling ordeal.
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The situation surrounding the Nigerian delegation’s diversion to Al Abraq Airport has sparked significant controversy, particularly given that local media attributed the incident to a “technical failure in the airport system.” This unexpected issue left the Super Eagles stranded for over 12 hours, raising questions about the reliability of the airport’s infrastructure. In a striking contrast, both Ghana and Sudan managed to land in Benghazi without any complications, smoothly navigating through immigration processes. This discrepancy has led to suspicions regarding the fairness of the treatment received by the Nigerian team.