Libyan authorities held Super Eagles players and officials hostage at the Al Abaq airport in Al Abaq, ahead of Tuesday’s AFCON 2025 qualifiers in Benghazi.
This was revealed by Super Eagles media team.
In a video posted on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) TV, players and officials of the Super Eagles together with their luggages were held down by Libyan officials at the airport.
According to the media team, about an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching its destination, Benghazi, was diverted to another city which is more than two hour drive from the original destination.
The shabby treatment handed to the Super Eagles and officials is not unconnected to claims made by Libya that they were not treated well when they came to Nigeria for the first leg of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers in Uyo on Friday.
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A publication, Libyan Observer, claimed that players and officials of the Mediterranean Knights poorly received by the NFF representatives, as they remained for more than three hours at the airport, waiting for the bus that would take them to the hotel in Uyo, which is 200 kilometers away from the airport, in difficult and exhausting transportation conditions for the delegation.
According to the publication, the delegation was seen sitting on the ground waiting for the bus, before three small buses were provided, which transported them in difficult conditions in the middle of the forests and stops along the way.
It stated that the Libyan delegation arrived Uyo late Tuesday evening after an arduous journey that took five and a half hours.
It explained that although the national team delegation traveled by private plane, and could have landed at the airport in Uyo, but the insistence of the authorities in Nigeria to land at Lagos airport caused the problem.
It also claimed that the private car, which carried training clothes, match clothes and food, was stolen, as the driver changed his destination without anyone noticing him, which led the Nigerian security to open an investigation to arrest him.
In the first leg in Uyo, the Eagles claimed a 1-0 win courtesy a late goal by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
The win saw the Eagles, on seven points, lead the Group D while Libya are bottom with just one point.
20 Comments
Typical North African antics lol…. Especially when they are in a desperate situation.
I hope this time lousy NFF will lay a strong petition of Libya authorities to CAF, FIFA and other relevant authorities.
They have sent an aggravated senerio to our boys.
Libya are in for the trouble. They must lose. They gave not experience this, the north African, Libya will feel it gard on Tuesday.
We go travel by road. We go enter bus. We go play the game. We nor go use delay tactics. At last, we go win the match. God bless Nigeria.
They have sent an aggravated senerio to our boys.
Libya are in for the trouble. They must lose. They have never experience this, the north African go feel it hard, Libya will feel it hard on Tuesday.
We go travel by road. We go enter bus. We go play the game. We nor go use delay tactics. At last, we go win the match. God bless Nigeria.
Who dey give them chance do all this rubbish if not mumu NFF. After they robbed us of a legitimate goal against Rwanda and against them on Friday again yet no complain and this has been happening for many years. Also SE were robbed against Cameroon at WC qualifier. A Cameroonian player foul a Nigerian inside outside the box yet the REF call for a penalty against a Nigeria. Meanwhile it was outside the box and it was even the Cameroonian player that commit a foul yet our stupid NFF won’t write a petition or complain. At this point opponent fit dey use handball score Nigeria make REF comot eye bcos them kno say our FA won’t complain.
Imagine this kind thing now, they won’t still complain very anyhow football organization
I’m sorry for the error. It was actually against Algeria. The match ended 1 -1 WC qualifier eventhough SE qualifies ahead of them & Cameroon. Till date it is the worst penatly decision that will ever occur in world football.
The REF was just smiling say yes opportunity to fix the match had finally presented itself. Person way he claim say dem foul was gallantly standing on his feet. Imagine that LMAO yet werey NFF didn’t complain so we should be ready for worst calls from the REF against SE
This Libya country are useless & unfortunately country we will dew with them masslessly. Se then want to compare themselves with Nigeria ni. Then they crazss
E be like say Lookman don offend somebody for CAF. The way they are disallowing his goals nowadays.
Please, whoever it is Lookman offended, kindly let bygone be bygone. Na beg we dey beg.
BTW, Haaland and Norway smell pepper today. NO WAY FOR NORWAY. Austria give dem wotowoto.
They hammered dem 5-1. Haaland dey run up and down like headless chicken. I’ve never seen him so frustrated. Rendered almost useless on the pitch.
Goes to show how important his team mates at Man City are to his achievements. One tree never makes a forest, after all.
The Fact is that countries hire qualified people to manage their sports but the NFF hires semi ITk literate like egungu who doesn’t know the processes involved in filing this petition. So with this mumu ITk at the helm of affairs I wonder who then we expect to file a strong petition that will shake Caf. If they had gotten a win or a point in UYO they’d never raise this topic of maltreatment by Nigeria officials. Now them don revenge let’s see how SE will respond, in life it is bitter that suffers and not the receiver of bitterness!!!
But Chima, how can they put up a superlative performance when they’re fatigued and deliberately worn out by Libyan while our mumu and handicapped NFF does nothing?
I think Libyan is planning for them to go straight to the stadium from the airport. No training.
If I be NFF, I will organize a world conference, inviting CNN, BBC, Sky Sports, ESPN etc and take the matter to FIFA. Forget CAF. Those ones too are toothless bulldogs.
The North African sides (club and country) have been getting away with these nonsense for too long. Flares, laser lights on player faces, holding opposing teams to ransom, deliberately disrupting flight plans so teams arrived late and then CAF granting then dubious walkover points.
I’m so incensed right now. Incompetent and weak administrators everywhere.
They should return to Nigeria after Tuesday go back to their clubsides all this should be done after Caf confirms receiving our petition. If them just jakpa from Libya without following this process we will loose 3 points and 3 goals.
Episode 1
How Was Eguavoen Able To Overcome Obdurate Libya?
Retrospective Review
I felt it was important to revisit the Libya game with a fresh pair of eyes to try to decipher Eguavoen’s tactical approach as, on initial viewing, it seemed like a mess to me.
I am so glad I did because the exercise left me with nothing but praise for both Libya and Nigeria in what must have been a gruelling, tedious and highly exhausting encounter for both. And, in my eyes, both teams gave an astonishingly remarkable account of themselves.
Nigeria went into the encounter with the singular aim of winning with Libya approaching with similar singular ambition of grinding out a draw by any means necessary.
Eguavoen initially set the team up on a 4-3-3 basis but later reverted to 4-2-4 and at times 4-4-2 in reverse i.e. 2-4-4 (which eventually resulted in the goal in the dying minutes).
to be cont…
Lmao..All this grammar wey una dey blow no concern me…me the centre of attraction na that guy wey carry food mia(change direction) lmao….that guy na the hero of the day… lmao…he must be protected at all cost… Sharp guy!!! brotherhood is proud of him…. No be only nff get the monopoly for stealing…make dem leave am joor.. lmao…hunger dey naija o… lmao…i tell you my people dey suffer…
pt1
How Were We Able To Overcome Obdurate Libya?
I felt it was important to revisit the Libya game with a fresh pair of eyes to try to decipher Nigeria’s tactical approach as, on initial viewing, it seemed like a mess to me.
I am so glad I did because the exercise left me with nothing but praise for both teams in what must have been a gruelling, tedious and highly exhausting encounter for both. And, in my eyes, both sides gave an astonishingly remarkable account of themselves.
Super Eagles went into the encounter with the singular aim of winning with the Mediterranean Knights approaching with similar singular ambition of grinding out a draw by any means necessary.
Episode 2
In the first half, Lookman, Iwobi and Boniface would try to combine from the left but Libya would cut them off before the climax.
Iwobi, though playing as left attacking midfielder, had freedom to rove and roam about everywhere in front. Ndidi, the defensive midfielder, would often interchange with Onyeka the right attacking midfielder. Boniface ran the channels and operated several times from the side (which was problematic as he wasn’t inside the 18 yard box when crosses were whipped in); he would try to bulldoze his way past the Libyans but they worked hard to curtail hi,. Bruno, in left back, would overlap towards the by-line traditionally to cross thereby providing more width whilst Aina on the right would invert and come into midfield to orchestrate intricate passes. Wingers Lookman and Simon switched places from left to right but Simon was way more successful with dribbles and crosses. Bassey would push slightly high than Ekong at the back but Ekong would go into opposition 18 yard box when the chances arose.
But Libya had Nigeria’s number to the last digit. They were focused and compact. They forced our wingers too wide for crosses to be impactful. They identified and choked Boniface and Lookman to make sure these 2 had no room to operate. The North Africans were resolute in their defending as they guarded their box 18 with their lives.
Come second half, Eguavoen knew he had to do something. So, in 60 minutes after 4-3-3 wasn’t breaking Libya down, he removed a midfielder (Onyeka) and introduced a winger (Chukwueze) thereby changing the formation to his go-to 4-2-4.
Episode 3
Chukwueze occupied right-wing; Lookman became the support striker behind Boniface with the midfield duo of Iwobi and Ndidi with Simon staying in left wing. And it almost paid instant dividend.
In a masterclass in 4-2-4 execution, overlapping LB Bruno located DM Ndidi in space who passed gracefully to AM Iwobi. Iwobi being Iwobi wasted no time in roping in SS Lookman who transferred the ball to CF Boniface. Boniface then turned and located RW Chukwueze who took out his marker and , there we have it, the culmination of all that intricate web of passes. Chukwueze, one on one with the goalkeeper, transferred the ball to his left leg, giving the onrushing goalkeeper ample time to spread himself, before pulling the trigger, only for the excellently outstretched leg of the goalkeeper to keep the ball out.
The wonderful cameraman, at exactly that point, captured Eguavoen gesticulate in raw pain and anguish in sheer frustration. That manoeuvre was the reason he changed to 4-2-4, the coming together of his masterplan. He worried he would never get such a glorious chance and he was right. Libya quickly wised up and promptly started disrupting the flow of pass between Ndidi and Iwobi and ensured the connection between Lookman and Boniface sabotaged and foiled. Shortly afterwards, Eguavoen removed Boniface.
4-3-3 hadn’t worked; Libya had found answer to 4-2-4; what other trick did Eguavoen had up his sleeves? Why not let’s try 2-4-4 (4-4-2 in reverse) and throw the bloody kitchen sink at these stubborn North Africans? Nigeria now had CF, SS and 2 wingers, 2 midfields now with the LB and RB closer to them all in attacking areas leaving only the 2 centre backs at the back with even 1 of them venturing forward.
Ate they still held hostage? over to Csn for more update.
Final Episode
Again, Libya had an answer. They placed 9 players deeper, much deeper than before, in and around their 18 yard box which addressed the increasing number of Nigerians Eguavoen threw at them. The plot from Nigeria was now simple and more familiar: any of Lookman, Bruno or Simon cut through to the left wing to cross to about 5 Nigerians lurking to stab home inside Libya’s 18 yard box.
The arithmetic now had 1 Nigerian crossing towards 5 of their colleagues surrounded by 9 Libyans. Meaning 4 Nigerians were available to exploit any space left behind against the only 1 Libyan not defending. Flipping the script on Libya, the SE Technical Director would allow his 5 players pin down 9 opposition players inside their 18 yard box with the remaining Super Eagles sniffing out space to exploit.
Eguavoen, to exploit this space, introduced Dele-Bashiru who instantly identified and ran into the gap but blasted the ball wide.
Ever the opportunist, he kept looking out for that space and when the ever-reliable Simon dispatched his man to deliver the cross in 86 minutes, it was now or never for Dele-Bashiru – he would never have a second chance! Time stood still and, like a car accident on a high speed express road, the ball travelled slowly, collided with Bashiru’s excellent connection and viola, it was in the back of the net!
Goooaaaaaallllll!!!! Finally Libyan resistance was shattered!
As Dele-Bashiru wheeled away to celebrate, I paused the match and counted the 9 Libyans in despair with their manager visibly distraught. They had defended courageously and valiantly. But, unfortunately in football, when you attempt to protect one space, you leave other spaces available for smooth operators like Dele-Bashiru to exploit.
It was tiring and exhausting re-watching this match hence I don’t want to think of how both teams felt.
Was Eguavoen tactically savvy, carelessly desperate or just lucky on the night? I will leave that for others to judge.
I would have give you 5Star but you didn’t add the wrongly disallowed goal scored by Looku abi I no read well?
Chima,
Thanks for the feedback. If I include every minute detail, the write up will be too lengthy and it’s already longer than I planned.
Eguavoen is in a quandary: he wants to play 4-3-4 but, because his own interpretation is more attacking, he said it leaves his midfield too thin – like I pointed out in another post, which opposition teams will exploit mercilessly.
In his own words: “In the first two games, when we played a back three and then four across the midfield, we always lost numbers in the middle of the field because one midfielder goes high up, and you have only 1 DM (Ndidi, Onyedika or Onyeka) left there,” Eguavoen told reporters in Uyo.
So, will he continue with 4-3-3 to start games or will he look for a way to resolve the midfield conundrum within 3-4-3? Interesting.
Libya did well; they continually shaped-shifted and adapted to Eguavoen’s tactical alterations and adjustment.
Eguavoen displayed a wide range of tactical tools. Playing Lookman in Support Striker / further forward Attacking Midfielder was interesting. Having Aina and Bruno with one overlapping and the other underlapping was cute.
Boniface is good but not yet right or ripe for Eguavoen’s all-action demands for his centre-forward. Pace in spades is needed with deadly one – time contacts which are not Boniface’s strenghts.
Eguavoen lulled fans to a false sense of continuity by utilizing 3-4-3 in his first 2 matches. Now that he feels that shape will jeopardize his attacking intents, it remains to be seen how he adjusts!