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Just In: Super Eagles Set for Airlifting From Libya, following Presures from Nigerian Govt

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Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), on Monday, called on CAF to treat the matter of stranded Super Eagles team in war-torn Libya, with the seriousness it deserves.


This is even as Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the matter is being handled with urgency.

In a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit NiDCOM, Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa condemned the treatment meted out to the Super Eagles team by Libya authorities ahead of its AFCON 2025 QUALIFIERS second leg match slated for Tuesday in the country.

Tuggar, said that following the ordeals, the Nigerian government summoned Libya’s chargé d’affaires in an effort to resolve the situation involving the Super Eagles, who were left stranded in Libya after their flight was diverted.


He disclosed that steps are being taken to refuel the plane and ensure the national football team’s swift departure from Libya.

Tuggar added that authorities have been in contact with the team and have sent officials from the Nigerian mission to provide assistance.

Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa noted that travelling by road in Libya is most dangerous and totally not advisable because of the current situation in the country.

The team which left Nigeria on Sunday to Libya for its return match had their flight diverted to an innocuous airport far away from the venue of the match.

The implication of the diversion will now be another three hours of road travel to the main venue of the match, not minding the risk of road travel in Libya , considering the situation of the war-torn country.

Dabiri-Erewa said the safety of Nigerian players is paramount to the country, and was optimistic that the Ministry of Sports and the NFF will advice appropriately.

Already, the players, the pilots and others on board the flight had been stranded and subjected to inhuman treatment at the airport for over 13 hours without water, food, rest and other means of communication.

“The team were delayed at an airport in Libya for more than 13 hours without any tangible reason”

The Super Eagles flight was redirected air borne on Sunday and they were required to travel by road to their destination.

However, there was no provision made for them by the Libya authorities and all efforts to make alternative provisions by Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was frustrated.

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JUST IN: Haaland ranked 26th, van Dijk 28th in Ballon d’Or 2025 list

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The build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is officially underway as the organisers began unveiling the rankings on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon.

Kicking off the list at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen at 29th, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in 28th. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sits at 27th, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland narrowly misses the top 25, landing in 26th place.

The partial list, also shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano, has already ignited fan debates online, especially surrounding Olise’s placement. The French winger delivered an outstanding 2024–25 season for Bayern, registering 12 goals and 15 assists, making his relatively low ranking a point of contention.

The full top 30 list is expected to be released in stages throughout the day.

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris, where the world’s top footballer will be officially crowned.

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Super Falcons Onome Ebi retires from football

Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.

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Legendary Super Falcons defender, Onome Ebi, on Wednesday officially announced her retirement from professional football.

Her career spanned over two decades with Nigeria’s women’s national team.

Ebi announced her decision in a post on her X account: “Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who I am today.

“Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.”

Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest female footballers, the 42-year-old centre-back boasts an illustrious record at both continental and global levels.

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U20 World Cup: Flying Eagles Final Squad Unveiled Amid Notable Absentees

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Preparations for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have been affected by the withdrawal of several key players.

Top European clubs, including France’s Stade Reims and Germany’s Hoffenheim, have refused to release their Nigerian players for the tournament in Chile, which is not scheduled on FIFA’s official calendar — giving clubs the right to withhold players from international duty.

As a result, Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, along with Stade Reims striker Ibrahim Hafiz, will miss the tournament. All three were considered key prospects for the national team.

In response, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has named a revised 21-man squad that excludes several overseas-based players. Domestic talents like Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, Bidemi Amole, and Divine Oliseh — who featured in the U-20 WAFU B qualifiers in Togo — were also left out of the final list.

Team captain Daniel Bameyi leads the squad, which includes more than 10 players who participated in recent training camps and friendlies. New additions include Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro.

Meanwhile, dependable fullback Adamu Maigari has been ruled out due to a knee injury.

The team departed Abuja for Chile on Sunday night. Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga is expected to join the squad later, ahead of their opening match.

Nigeria, runners-up in 1989 and 2005, will be aiming to win their first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title. The tournament kicks off on September 27 and runs through October 20. The Flying Eagles were eliminated in the quarter-finals by South Korea at the last edition in Argentina.

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