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Libya-Nigeria saga: Ekong, Iwobi, Lookman, Bassey, others celebrate safe return from Al Abraq with DJ Neptune – Video

Several Super Eagles players, including William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, and Semi Ajayi, have returned safely to Nigeria after a tense and frustrating experience in Libya, Soccernet.ng reports.

The players were spotted enjoying a night out in Abuja to relax and celebrate their safe arrival after their ordeal in Libya, where they were detained at Al Abraq Airport for several hours.

The unexpected incident occurred when the Super Eagles’ flight, initially scheduled to land in Benghazi ahead of their AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya, was diverted to Al Abraq.

Upon arrival, Nigerian players and officials were left stranded for hours due to a lack of transport provisions by the Libyan authorities. This caused the postponement of their much-anticipated second-leg clash.

Nigerian DJ Neptune, clearly relieved at the players’ safe return, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his joy. He posted:

“Last night in Abuja with our skippo [William Troost] Ekong, [Semi] Ajayi, [Alex] Iwobi & [Calvin] Bassey. We are glad to have you guys back home safe and happy.”

The delay and detention of the Nigerian team at the Libyan airport sparked outrage among the Nigerian football community and beyond.

Many questioned the treatment of the Super Eagles, leading to an official investigation by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In a statement, CAF confirmed it had contacted both Nigerian and Libyan authorities and referred the matter to its Disciplinary Board for further investigation.

CAF’s official statement reads: “The Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) has been in contact with the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after it had been informed that the Nigerian National Football Team (‘’Super Eagles’’) and their technical team were stranded in disturbing conditions for several hours at an airport that they were allegedly instructed to land by the 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.”

As a result of the incident, CAF pulled the Nigeria vs. Libya match from the AFCON qualifier fixture list for the day, while other matchday four fixtures went ahead as planned. No new date has been set for the rescheduled match, but the investigation is expected to provide clarity soon.

For now, the players seem to be enjoying their return to familiar ground, but the investigation and resolution of the troubling events in Libya remain ongoing.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories. Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work. With a Bachelor's degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master's Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.

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