The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has accused the Libyan Football Federation of intentionally mistreating the Super Eagles during their stay in Libya.
On Sunday, Nigerian players and officials were stranded at a Libyan airport for hours without access to food or the internet as they prepared for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Mediterranean Knights.
It took diplomatic interventions and social media outcry before the team was finally allowed to leave Libya.
Two days after the incident, the minister addressed the matter during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He refuted claims that Libyan players were mistreated when they first visited Nigeria, describing the allegations as fabricated.
“The Port Harcourt Airport where they arrived is one of our best airports,” he said. “There’s no situation that would cause footballers to lie on the floor. These claims were deliberately made to create a false impression. If there was an issue, it should have been raised immediately.”
The minister also spoke about the efforts by the Nigerian government to address the situation, both diplomatically and through other channels.
When asked if the Confederation of African Football (CAF) played a role in the controversy, Senator Enoh did not give a direct answer. However, he criticized CAF’s Secretary General for failing to facilitate communication between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Libyan authorities.
“I alerted CAF yesterday morning. Our team had been mistreated for 13 hours, and yet there was no communication between CAF and the Libyan Football Federation. If Libya has such internal issues, is it a suitable host for international matches of this caliber?” he questioned.
Libya, however, denied any wrongdoing. In a statement, the Libyan Football Federation rejected accusations of foul play, stating, “There is no basis for claims that we deliberately orchestrated the incident. Our values and principles do not align with such actions.” They also highlighted that their own national team faced difficulties upon their arrival in Nigeria.
CAF responded to the situation, stating that the matter had been referred to their disciplinary board for investigation, and appropriate action would be taken if any regulations were violated.