Nigeria soccer team boycotts Africa Cup qualifier after being stranded at Libya airport
FILE - Nigeria's Ademola Lookman, left, celebrates with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen after scoring his sides first goal during the African Cup of Nations Round of 16 soccer match between Nigeria and Cameroon, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Sunday Alamba]
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s soccer players returned to their country on Monday after boycotting their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Libya because they were stranded overnight at the Al Abraq Airport in Libya. The team captain described the incident as “mind games”. But authorities in Libya denied it was sabotage. The Super Eagles were scheduled to play the second-leg tie on Tuesday. Team captain William Troost-Ekong said the plane had been due to land at Benghazi Airport but was diverted at the last minute to Al Abraq some 220 kilometers away. The first leg on Friday involved similar accusations of sabotage from the Libya team. That game was won 1-0 by Nigeria.
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FILE- The Nigeria soccer team poses for a group photo before the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Themba Hadebe