Sports

UPDATED: Super Eagles Arrive In Nigeria After Libyan Airport Nightmare

Published

1 year ago

October 14, 2024

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The Super Eagles have arrived in Nigeria after their ordeal in Libyan for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

Players and officials were stranded for about 13 hours at a Libyan airport ahead of the game which was supposed to take place on Tuesday.

Photos of the team sleeping on benches went viral early Monday, prompting condemnation.

But hours later, the team landed in Kano after Libyan authorities cleared their flight to take off.

https://x.com/WTroostEkong/status/1845874814067630417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1845874814067630417%7Ctwgr%5Ea58c2a381b5674311ef37ab9c8827e78aad09283%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2F

“BACK HOME SAFE & SOUND.

Proud of this team, NAIJA SPIRIT can’t be broken.
Throw at us what you want, it’s in our blood to overcome,” the team’s captain William Troost-Ekong said on his X handle.

“I’ve seen a lot in my 10 years with this group, but nothing like this, an experience that has brought us even closer TOGETHER.”

Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface said the Super Eagles have returned home.

“Back to Nigeria,” Boniface wrote.

The Nigerian players and officials had landed in the North African country ahead of the match. But after their flight was rerouted from Benghazi where the game was meant to hold.

They were denied access to food and other supplies with some members of the team taking to social media to lament about the incident.

That prompted condemnation across the globe with Nigerian authorities describing the incident as “unfortunate”.

The Minister of Sports Development John Enoh likened it to “almost hostage” and said the Super Eagles were no longer taking part in the game.

“To say the least, they face an almost ‘hostage’ situation. These are sportsmen set to compete in an AFCON qualifying match come Tuesday!” he said.

“For now, our primary concern is the safety of the members of our national team. With the events of the past hours, their safety is not guaranteed and the team insists they’re unable to go ahead with the match not just because of the trauma and consequent psychological torture but also because of fear for their safety.”

‘Inconsistent With Our Values’

The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) denied accusations of wrong-doings and claim its team faced a similar situation when they played the Super Eagles in the first leg of the encounter last week.

“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident.

Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles,” the LFF said and linked the delay to logistical issues and other challenges.

‘Action Will Be Taken’

But the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) had said it was going to probe the “disturbing conditions” after reaching out to the Nigerian and Libyan authorities.

“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations,” CAF said.

Sports

Super Eagles beat Algeria 2–0, Atiku,Obi applaud the team

Published

9 minutes ago

January 10, 2026

OCHEFA

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Nigeria’s forward #09 Victor Osimhen (R) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match between Algeria and Nigeria at the Grand stadium in Marrakesh on January 10, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP).

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi have joined millions of Nigerians in celebrating the Super Eagles’ 2–0 victory over Algeria, a result that booked the team a place in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations and reignited national belief in a title run.

In statements signed by both opposition leaders, the win was framed as more than just a football result, with each describing it as a moment of pride and shared joy for Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.

Atiku described the night as a proud one for the country, applauding the team’s resolve and the hope their performance has stirred across the nation.“A proud night for our nation. I celebrate the Super Eagles on their solid 2–0 victory over Algeria in the AFCON quarter-final.

“Your fighting spirit has once again lifted the hopes of millions of Nigerians. Keep soaring, we are firmly behind you,” he said.Obi, in a separate message, praised the Super Eagles for making a strong statement with their display, saying the victory sent a clear signal to the rest of the continent.

Sports

WAFCON 2026 final draw holds Jan 15 in Rabat

Voting for the CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year involves members of the media, as well as captains and coaches from teams participating in the CAF Women’s Champions League.

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

OCHEFA

30 Views

The Final Draw for the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 will take place in Rabat on Thursday, 15 January 2025, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has confirmed.

The qualified teams for the competition are hosts Morocco, alongside Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

The event will also feature the announcement of the remaining winners in the CAF Awards 2025 Women’s Categories, including the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year and other top honours in women’s football.

The draw will mark a milestone for the continental tournament, which will feature an expanded 16-team field for the first time in its history.

Ahead of the draw, CAF will announce the winners of three outstanding women’s football awards: CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, and CAF Women’s Club of the Year.

The awards were initially scheduled to be presented during the CAF Awards 2025 ceremony but were postponed as the women’s football season had not concluded, owing to the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League. CAF earlier this week officially reopened voting for the three categories.

CAF has reiterated that while it does not participate in the voting process, it oversees and coordinates the exercise.

Voting for the CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year involves members of the media, as well as captains and coaches from teams participating in the CAF Women’s Champions League.

Sports

Ndidi builds up team’s moral , offers to pay outstanding bonuses

“I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to before Saturday. I don’t want these unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations.”

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2026

OCHEFA

35 Views

Photo: Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi

Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has pledged to pay all outstanding winning bonuses at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco if the Federal Government and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) fail to settle the payments before Saturday.

Despite assurances from the Federal Government and the National Sports Commission (NSC), the three-time African champions are yet to receive winning bonuses for their first four matches at AFCON 2025.

“I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game vs Algeria. I’ve been doing this since the second game,” Ndidi was quoted by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji on Thursday in a post on X.

Recall that the Super Eagles on Wednesday threatened to boycott training and delay travel to Marrakech over unpaid bonuses for their three group-stage matches and the round of 16 at the tournament.

The team is owed win bonuses for victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Mozambique. Reports indicated that the players warned they would not train or travel unless the issue was resolved.