BREAKING: Super Eagles players, coaches stranded after Libyan authorities divert flight

Deborah Ejama 

The staff and players of the Nigerian national football team known as the Super Eagles are currently stranded in an airport in Libya.

Thewatch Africa gathered that the players and coaches were stranded because Libyan authorities diverted the flight the team had earlier booked to take them to Benghazi, a venue for their upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifying match against the North African team. 

“They will now travel by road to Benghazi, the location for the return fixture, which is about 3 hrs 24-minute drive,” a popular Nigerian football focused platform said.

The platform shared a picture of the current state of the team in Libya on Facebook. 

This situation may be connected to the experience the Libyan team allegedly had when they visited Nigeria last week.

The Libyan national football team allegedly faced a harsh welcome and poor reception upon arriving in Nigeria last Tuesday, with players held at Lagos airport for over three hours.

Libyan media circulated images of the team members sitting on the floor at Lagos airport after a long journey that began in Tripoli. 

The team had travelled to Lagos before heading to Uyo, where they faced Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday.

According to multiple reports the Nigerian Football Federation failed to send a bus for the team, leaving them stranded at the airport for three hours. Eventually, three buses were provided to transport the team under difficult conditions through forested areas for over 200 kilometres. 

It was reported that despite travelling on a private jet, the Libyan team was forced to land in Lagos instead of Uyo.