By Kayode John
Libya captain Faisal Al-Badri has alleged poor treatment by Nigerian authorities ahead of Friday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Uyo between the two countries.
According to Libyan news outlet, Addresslibya, Al-Badri claimed on his Facebook page that Nigerian authorities frustrated what should have been a smooth travelling experience for his team.
“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,” he was quoted as saying.
“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.”
The skipper of the Mediterranean Knights further alleged that his team faced a road full of checkpoints and parking lots. He said they took non-main roads, entered forests, returned to unpaved roads in complete darkness and “following each other by the lights of vehicles.”
He claimed that the journey took five hours in an atmosphere full of danger, and they arrived at their hotel in the late hours of the night.
Al-Badri also slammed the conditions of the hotel.
“This is not the first time we have been maltreated in Africa. The question is, how long will we continue to receive this kind of reception? While other teams are received in the best airports and hotels, should we always be patient in the face of these things?” he added.
“We have suffered from this problem for many years, and although we are willing to tolerate it, there must be a solution to these practices. We demand that the relevant authorities look into these actions, and we express the need for reciprocity.”
Nigeria will travel for the return leg scheduled to take place on October 15 in Benina, near Benghazi. The North Africans are bottom of Group D in the qualifiers with only one point from their first two matches.
