Nigeria vs Libya: NFF deny claim of poor treatment from opponent camp ahead of Super Eagles clash

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have denied poor treatment claims from the Libya camp.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to face Libya in the 2025 AFCON qualifier, with the first leg taking place in Uyo.

Two days ago, the Mediterranean Knights of Libya arrived in Nigeria ahead of playing the Super Eagles in the first leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match.

The captain of Libya's national team, Faisal Al-Badri, raised accusations about their treatment when they arrived in Nigeria before the game.

NFF deny claims

Al-Badri stated on Facebook that Nigerian officials obstructed their potential for a seamless entry into Nigeria, according to a news station based in Libya.

He said, “We left the hotel at six in the morning, and the plane took off at nine. The flight took four hours, and thus we arrived in Nigeria at one in the afternoon, Libyan time.”

Libya team ||

“Our luggage was searched inside the plane for an hour, and we were also delayed in transportation from one city to another for three hours, even though we travelled on a private plane, and there was an airport close to the city we wanted to play in.

“We later contacted the company responsible for transporting and securing the mission, but they informed us that there was no police patrol at the time, which increased the risk.

“After a long time, three non-air-conditioned minibuses and a police car arrived, in addition to two cars from the Libyan embassy.”

In response, the Nigerian FA asserted that their team's confusion was caused by the Libyan Football Federation (LFF), as reported by Soccernet.

Mr. Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, NFF’s Assistant Director of Protocol, “We were only informed three hours before their arrival that they were landing in Port Harcourt, not Uyo as expected.

Super Eagles | IMAGO

“On Monday, October 7th, I spoke at length with the LFF’s General Secretary, and he never indicated that the team would arrive the next day. We only found out an hour after they were airborne.

“If they travelled on buses without air conditioning, that’s entirely their own doing. We provided adequate security, and their complaints and threats do not concern us.”

Meanwhile, the Sports Minister has charged the Super Eagles of Nigeria to dismantle Libya and 'Make the country proud.