A prominent sports journalist, Dr Kelechi Anyikude, has dismissed the allegations that Nigeria maltreated the Libyan national team when they visited Nigeria for the first leg of their AFCON match with the Super Eagles.
Some Nigerians took to X to comment that the poor treatment the Super Eagles were receiving in Libya was payback for the treatment given to the Libyan team when they played the first leg in Nigeria.
The Super Eagles have been stranded in Libya for close to 24 hours with the team frustrated and planning to return to Nigeria without playing the second leg as planned.
The team travelled to Libya on Sunday, October 13, and the plane was supposed to take them to Benghazi.
However, their flight was diverted to Al Abraq airport, which is two hours away from their destination.
The Nigerian players and their agents were kept inside the airport’s arrival hall for several hours and were not allowed to leave.
They are now making plans to return to Nigeria.
Dr. Anyikude said Nigeria did not maltreat the Libyan team as claimed. He said the team booked their flight to Port Harcourt instead of Uyo.
He said when this was realised by the NFF, a quick arrangements were made for the same plane to fly them to Uyo, but the Libyan officials apparently did not want to pay their charter flight for the local trip.
He said instead they opted for a road trip and the NFF arranged security for them.
The journalist said the visiting team was given the best hotel in Uyo and was also given the best training time and facilities.
He said Nigeria did not maltreat Ghana, or Benin Republic who also played matches in the same Uyo and could not have maltreated Libya.
Watch him here.
