Nigerian Football Team Abandoned in the Desert Nightmare That Sparked Outrage Across Africa

Africa Cup of Nations drama unfolded as the Nigerian national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, was left stranded at the Tripoli International Airport in Libya.

The team was scheduled to play a crucial qualifying match against Libya on March 25 but the game was called off due to the incident. The Nigerian football team arrived at the airport on March 24 but was left waiting for hours without any accommodation or transportation.

Reports from the team stated that they were denied access to their hotel and were forced to sleep on the floor of the airport with limited amenities. The team members took to social media to express their outrage, sharing photos and videos of their ordeal.

The Libyan authorities initially attributed the delay to a visa issue but later gave conflicting accounts of the incident. In response to the criticism, the Libyan Charge d'Affaires was summoned by the Nigerian government to explain the situation.

Former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu, who is a key figure in the All Progressives Congress, also weighed in on the incident, calling for accountability from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the Super Eagles' mistreatment.

The Nigerian government described the treatment of the team as "unacceptable" and demanded a formal explanation from the Libyan authorities. In an official statement, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it would take necessary actions to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

The public also expressed outrage over the treatment of the Super Eagles, drawing comparisons with the overthrow and assassination of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The hashtag #Libya VS Nigeria began trending on social media as fans voiced their disappointment and demanded justice for the Super Eagles.

The incident marked a low point in the relationship between Nigeria and Libya as both countries are set to meet again in the future for the Africa Cup of Nations. The developments surrounding the abandoned match will likely have far-reaching implications on the sport and the diplomatic ties between the two nations.