THISDAY
Reigning African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen, yesterday described the deplorable condition that the Super Eagles were subjected to by Libyan authorities as uncalled for and inhuman.
“I am disappointed by the unfair treatment my brothers and coaches are facing at the Libya airport. Actions like this go against the spirit of sportsmanship. My support is with my team, and I know they’ll stay strong despite these obstacles,” Osimhen wrote on his X handle on the social media on Monday morning while the hostage situation continued.
He called for immediate intervention of CAF and other football bodies on the saga. “I call on CAF and other football bodes to intervene, as my teammates and officials are still stranded at the airport in Libya. This is uncalled for and inhuman. We stand together, stronger than ever.”
Similarly, two other past African Footballers of the Year, Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equally condemned the maltreatment of the Nigerian delegation by Libyan authorities at the Al Abaq Airport.
Adebayor, a legend of African football and Arsenal who won the CAF Player of the Year award in 2008 wrote on X: “Nigerian Super Eagles were stranded at a Libyan airport, locked in without food, wi-fi, or a place to sleep after their flight was diverted.
“This type of behaviour is unacceptable for the progress of African football. No team should face such treatment. We stand with Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
“Respect and Fair Play must come first on and off the field,” reasoned the former Arsenal player.
Another former African Player of the Year winner in 2015, Aubameyang, was emphatic that such barbaric behavior by the Libyan authorities should not happen in 2024. He wrote on X: “Anyway, that is not possible in 2024 acting like that.”
Local authorities left the Nigerian contingents unattended for more than 15 hours after they arrived on Sunday night.
