AFCON qualifiers Archives | Page 3 of 5

AFCONQ: Super Eagles head back to Nigeria

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

Members of the Super Eagles have boarded a flight back to Nigeria after 13-hour delay at Libyan airport on Sunday. The former African champions were billed to play the second leg of the AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libyan national team on Tuesday but were refused entry by authorities at the airport. Having waited patiently at the airport for over 13 hours, the Nigerian side resolved to return home without kicking a ball. Members of the William Troost-Ekong team are going through process of the immigration to board the available flight back home. Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa has also wished the team safe journey back home. “Super Eagles team now boarding . Journey mercies to all of them,” She wished the Eagles. Super Eagles’ player, Bruno Onyemaechi also emphatically said he is done with the tie against Libya. “Me and Libya I done washed my hands commot nothing concern me and una again thank God going back home,” the Boavista of Portugal player stated.

AFCONQ: Ekong provides updates Super Eagles ordeal in Libya

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Skipper William Troost-Ekong has provided updates on poor treatments at Super Eagles by Libya authorities. The defensive stalwart in a social media post hinted that logistics are being put in place for the team to jet to the match venue. His words; “Can I shock you?! “The pilot has just told us there has been fuel at this airport for the plane all this time. “They could have released it but haven’t given us permission since. Can you imagine? So, how long are they planning to hold us hostage here!!! Still just waiting. Shortly before the tweet, Ekong had earlier wrote that a team bus been made available after several hours waiting at the airport. “After our first tweets magically a team bus arrived and a driver who has been standing inside the airport filming us and laughing with some of the other staff since last night said the bus was ready 12 hours after we landed. “Now we have been waiting for fuel since morning…” Meanwhile, the duo of Victor Boniface and Bruno Onyemaechi in a separate posts on social have demanded for the team return to Nigeria. “This is no longer a joke. Please, we need help to go back to Nigeria,” Onyemaechi pleaded. On his part, Leverkusen of Germany striker Victor Boniface believed the situation is getting scary, just he also wants a return to the country. “This is getting scary now. “You guys can have the points. “We just want to return to our country.”

Photo news: Stranded Eagles in Libya

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago00 mins

AFCONQ: Super Eagles resolve to return home

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago01 mins

Super Eagles players and officials have resolved to return to the country following the poor treatment melted to them at Al Abraq Airport. The team’s captain William Troost-Ekong disclosed this after several hours wait without food, drinks, Wi-Fi and other basic supplies. “As the captain together with the team we have decided that we will NOT play this game. “CAF should look at the report and what is happening here. Even if they decide to allow this kind of behaviour, let them have the points. “We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security it’s not safe. We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us if we continued.” Officials of the NFF we gathered have also been making plans to fly the team back home.

Super Eagles held hostage in Libya

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

Members of the Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been languishing for over 13 hours without basic amenities at Libyan airport, Trendbrio.com have reliably gathered. The team departed Nigeria on Sunday for the reverse fixture of the AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya are still held at the airport as at press time. Sources close to the Nigeria Football Federation hinted that about an hour to landing, the Nigerian side aircraft approaching its destination, Benghazi was diverted to another city more than two hour drive from the original destination. The Nigerian lads were also denied from gaining access into the country by the Libyan authorities for over 13 hours. Leverkusen of Germany striker, Victor Boniface, who led the Super Eagles attack in the first leg lamented the poor treatment on his X handle. He wrote; “Been at the airport for almost 13 hours no food no wifi no where to sleep “Africa we can do better @CAF.”

Morocco 2025: Osimhen, Ekong, Ndidi, others to battle Benin Republic, Rwanda

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles feast on Libya

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Nigeria will host Libya in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo this evening. The Super Eagles will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the AFCON qualifiers, while the visitors are still seeking their first win of the qualifying campaign. Nigeria followed up a 3-0 victory over Benin Republic in their opening match of the AFCON qualifiers with a goalless draw away at Rwanda a couple of days later. The Super Eagles top Group D with four points and are the only team yet to concede a goal in the group, and a double header victory over Libya will see them move clear and edge closer to securing qualification. This will be the fifth meeting between Nigeria and Libya, with the Super Eagles winning all four previous encounters, including two games in the AFCON qualifiers back in 2018. Augustine Eguavoen, who was appointed on an interim basis to lead the team, has retained his position and has been tasked with guiding Nigeria to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco. Nigeria finished as runners-up at the last AFCON edition and have lost just one of their last 14 AFCON qualifying matches – a run they will hope to extend on Saturday. Libya were held to a 1-1 draw by Rwanda in their opening match of the AFCON qualifiers before losing 2-1 to Benin in their second match. The Mediterranean Knights took the lead in the ninth minute from the spot via Faisal Al Badri, but a 12-minute spell in the second half saw them concede two goals that cost them the game. Head coach Milutin Sredojevic will hope his side picks up valuable points against Nigeria as they look to end their 12-year AFCON absence. Libya’s last appearance in the continental showpiece came back in 2012, but they are currently bottom of Group D with one point and will have to quickly turn things around if they are to end this run. Nigeria possible XI: Nwabali; Ekong, Ajayi, Bassey; Aina, Ndidi, Onyedika, Onyemaechi; Lookman, Boniface, Chukwueze Libya possible XI: Al Wuhayshi; Elkouri, Yusuf, Erteiba, Al Mabrouk; Al Badri, Al Shreimy; Salama, Al Khoja, Al Gleib; Krawaa

NFF dismisses Libya’s poor treatment claims, insists Libya caused own problems

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation has rejected claims of poor treatment on arrival in Nigeria by the captain of the Libya senior men national team, Faisal Al-Badri. NFF insists the Libyan Football Federation created chaos for its own team, the Mediterranean Knights. NFF’s Assistant Director (Protocol), Mr. Emmanuel Ayanbunmi said the Libya Federation only informed the NFF that its team was landing in Port Harcourt, and not Uyo, only three hours to the team’s arrival on Tuesday. “I spoke to the General Secretary of LFF, at length, on Monday, 7th October and he never hinted that his team would be arriving on Tuesday (the following day). He only said he would get back to me but he never did. On Monday evening, someone sent as an advance party by the LFF called me and said his team would be arriving on Tuesday by noon. We made all arrangements to receive the team in Uyo on arrival. “It was only an hour after the team was airborne that he told me the delegation would be landing in Port Harcourt. That disrupted so many things, but we still raced on hurdles to get approval from federal authorities to allow their plane to fly them to Uyo once they concluded immigration formalities in Port Harcourt. Apparently, that would have meant additional cost to the LFF from the charter company, and they didn’t want that, so they preferred to travel from Port Harcourt to Uyo by road.” Ayanbunmi added that the Libyan delegation jettisoned road transportation arrangements made for them by the NFF and instead hired buses on their own. “If they travelled on buses that were not air-conditioned, that had nothing to do with the NFF as they hired their own buses. We provided security for them, with men and vehicles in front and behind their buses, so we are unmoved about their complaints and threats.”

Morocco 2025: Eguavoen targets double over Libya that will send Eagles to final tourney

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago04 mins

Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has set as objective, the maximum six points from this month’s double header between the Super Eagles and Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in the teams’ group D attrition as the race to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals hots up. Nigeria host the first game at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday evening, with the return at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, 19 kilometres from Libya’s second city Benghazi, on Tuesday night. “We have to be practical about it: our best and surest route to the finals will be to pick up the six points in the matches with Libya, and be somewhat guaranteed of a place in Morocco even before Matchday 5. We don’t want to be in any anxiety in the run-in in this qualifying campaign. “I admit we will miss Victor (Osimhen), but I believe in the other strikers available to get us the goals that will give us the three points in Uyo, and the three points in Libya.” Twenty of the 23 invited players trained in Uyo on Tuesday evening, with defender Bright Osayi-Samuel and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke arriving on Wednesday morning. Leaders Nigeria have four points from their two matches so far, one point ahead of Benin Republic and two ahead of Rwanda. The Eagles will go to 10 points with a double win over Libya, while both teams on Nigeria’s heels are in attrition and are bound to chop at each other’s advantage one way or the other. Wins for Benin Republic in both matches will take them to nine points, still short of Nigeria’s probable tally of 10, but Rwanda will remain stuck at two and Libya one, with only two matches left in the campaign. Wins for Rwanda will leave Benin Republic stuck at three points and Rwanda at eight. “There are possibilities and opportunities for us to sail home at the end of these two matches, and we will do our best to take our chances and have the ticket in hand before the final round of games,” Eguavoen reiterated. The delegation of Libya’s Mediterranean Knights landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport around noon on Tuesday, before moving to Uyo by road. Malawian referee Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga, who will be at the centre during Friday’s encounter, alongside the other match officials, are already in the Akwa Ibom State capital. The Confederation of African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 ad 2 respectively, while Botswanan Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official.