The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has praised the Nigerian Super Eagles for their maturity and composure “in spite of the provocations” they faced in Libya.
Enoh offered the commendation while welcoming the players at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Monday evening, following their return to Nigeria. The Super Eagles were held for over 16 hours at the abandoned Al Abraq airport after their flight, intended to land in Benghazi for the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, was diverted.
After the ordeal, the team was flown out of Libya, arriving at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State before proceeding to Abuja.
Enoh reassured the team that Nigerians were most concerned about their safety. “The entire country is aware of all you’ve gone through. The entire nation has been awake since last night, praying for your safe return. What mattered most was your safe return to the country; nothing else,” Enoh said.
He went on to highlight their exemplary conduct: “Despite the ill-treatment by Libyan authorities, you remained calm and composed. That is the spirit that is typically Nigerian.”
The minister also revealed that the Ministry of Sports was in communication with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) regarding the incident. “We’ve had discussions with CAF leadership about what occurred,” he added.
Meanwhile, CAF announced on Monday that it had launched an investigation into the “disturbing” episode.
