Osayi Stuck in Nigeria, Osimhen Outraged!

A crisis erupted before the Libya-Nigeria match, which was scheduled to take place today in the Africa Cup of Nations. The Nigerian squad, including Fenerbahce’s Osayi-Samuel, reported that their plane was diverted to Ibrik Airport, located 330 km away from the match venue in Benghazi, where they were kept waiting. Due to poor treatment, the Nigerian players decided to boycott the match and returned home. The Libyan side claimed this was retaliation for the mistreatment they received during the match played in Nigeria on October 11.

The Nigerian National Team was supposed to face Libya away today in the Africa Cup of Nations but alleged they were mistreated, leading to their decision not to participate. Nigerian players, including Fenerbahce’s Bright Osayi-Samuel, expressed on social media that their flight was diverted to Ibrik Airport, and they had not been allowed to leave for over 24 hours. The posts showed Nigerian players attempting to sleep on the airport’s benches and appearing exhausted due to the poor conditions.

EUROPEAN CLUBS SENT SPECIAL FLIGHTS TO BRING PLAYERS BACK BUT…
The Nigerian delegation claimed they had no proper food, drink, or internet services at the airport. European clubs, where the players are contracted, sent private jets to Libya to retrieve their players. However, these jets, which landed in Benghazi and Tripoli, could not pick up the players due to insufficient security measures. After hours of waiting, the Nigerian team returned to their country.

The Libyan side responded to the accusations, stating that the actions taken were in response to the mistreatment they experienced during their match in Nigeria on October 11, which led to the Nigerian team being diverted to Ibrik Airport. The Nigerian Football Federation firmly denied the claims of mistreatment.

OSIMHEN: THE TREATMENT OF MY TEAMMATES IS INHUMANE
Victor Osimhen, who was absent from the squad due to injury, expressed his outrage regarding the Nigerian team being stranded in Libya. In a statement on social media, Osimhen said, “I am disappointed by the unfair treatment my brothers and coaches faced at the Libyan airport. Such actions go against the spirit of sportsmanship. My support is with my team, and I know they will remain strong despite these obstacles. I call on CAF (African Football Confederation) and other football organizations to intervene. This is an inhumane situation.” Fenerbahce’s Bright Osayi-Samuel also shared on social media, “I have been stranded at a random Libyan airport for 18 hours without any health or security guarantees.”

SHOCKING IMAGES TO THE WORLD
The Nigerian players expressed that they had been waiting at Ibrik Airport for more than 24 hours without food or drink. The images of the squad at the airport were met with astonishment worldwide.