By Abiola Olawale
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reacted to the treatment of the players and officials of Nigeria’s men’s football team, the Super Eagles in Libya.
The president said he was ‘deeply’ concerned by what he described as an ‘inhuman treatment’ endured by the Super Eagles of Nigeria at a Libyan airport.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga also called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to immediately look into and investigate the development.
The statement reads in part: “The harrowing experience of the national football team at the hands of their hosts and the Libyan authorities prompted the Nigerian Football Federation to withdraw the Super Eagles from the scheduled match on Tuesday.
“President Tinubu expects the Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate action against those who wilfully violated the organisation’s Statutes and Regulations.
“The President commends the proactive coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development in addressing the unfortunate episode and ensuring the safe return of our players.
“President Tinubu applauds the players for keeping their spirit alive despite the excruciating ordeal in Libya.
“The Nigerian leader recognises football’s unifying power in bringing nations and people together and views the treatment of our citizens as unsportsmanlike and inhumane, a stark contrast to the spirit of the game he deeply appreciates. He fervently calls on all lovers of the round-leather game and administrators to unite and work collaboratively to prevent and overcome such incidents in the future.”
The New Diplomat had reported that the ugly situation happened when the chartered flight airlifting Super Eagles players was unexpectedly diverted from Benghazi to Abraq Airport.
The unexpected diversion was said to have been done despite prior agreements and approvals the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had secured.
NFF said it had arranged transportation in Benghazi, but the sudden diversion left the team stranded at Abraq Airport without buses provided by the Libyan FA.
This left the whole Super Eagles team stranded for 13 hours as they were locked up at the airport.
This development came after Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri, had accused the NFF of similar poor treatment meted out to them during their arrival in Nigeria for the first leg match.
However, the NFF swiftly refuted these allegations, citing last-minute changes to Libya’s arrival plans, which were communicated merely three hours before landing.
