Libyan authorities on Sunday night held the Super Eagles and their officials hostage at the Al Abaq airport in Al Abaq.
This is according to a statement the Super Eagles’ media officer, Promise Efoghe posted on the WhatsApp platform of the team.
“About an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching its destination, Benghazi was diverted to another city more than two hour drive from the original destination,” Efoghe wrote.
Super Eagles defender, William Troost-Ekong, meanwhile, had said that Friday’s game should prepare the team better when they face Libya on Tuesday, adding that he was also expecting a hostile atmosphere.
Nigeria defeated Libya 1-0 in their third match of the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification series on Friday evening but the team had to sweat to secure the victory.
Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru broke the deadlock for Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, after coming off the bench in the 74th minute, replacing Alex Iwobi.
While Nigeria were on the front foot for most of the game, they struggled to find the back of the net. The referee also made some wrong decisions, waving off a clear penalty in the first half and wrongly disallowing Ademola Lookman’s goal in the second half.
With the Super Eagles maintaining the top position on the Group D table with seven points from three matches, having won twice and drawn once, they will travel to the North African country to face Libya in the return leg on Tuesday.
They will head into the return leg in Benina with renewed confidence. Ekong noted that the team’s experience from the first encounter will help them approach the Libyan side with better preparation.
“I think we were superior on Friday, and the experience we gained from the first game should prepare us better for the second game, “Ekong said.
“We had to take the game like a big puzzle to solve the problem of how we can get the chances.” Looking ahead, the Super Eagles captain expects an even more challenging outing in Libya, both on and off the pitch.
The absence of the home crowd support, which proved instrumental in the first leg, will add to the difficulty. “I think it will be something similar to the first and probably more difficult,” Ekong admitted.
“We won’t have our lovely fans here to cheer us on, so it is going to be very hostile there.” Troost Ekong held down the central defense against Libya as if it’s his birthright.
The Super Eagles captain stayed composed at the back and completed the most passes of any outfield player on the pitch.
The Al-Kholood central defender also won all of his tackles, although, his lackadaisical approach at one point in the first half almost led to the Libyan team going for goal but the referee saved Troost Ekong’s blushes by calling for offside.
Despite also putting in a decent shift, the 31-year-old had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first half but blazed the ball over the goalpost with the net at his mercy.
