Nigeria awaits CAF’s verdict over Eagles’ shabby treatment in Libya

The Nigerian delegation to the aborted Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya returned to the country yesterday with tales of woe. This is as the country’s football authorities, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as well as, the entire country await the continent’s football governing body, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to make a pronouncement over the alleged beastial treatment meted to the Nigerian contingent, by Libyan authorities.

“On landing at the Al-Abraq International Airport, in the small town of Labraq, at 19.50hours, it was clear that the airport was not a well-utilised facility. There were no scanning machines or the usual equipment for this service, and officials had to make do with mobile phones to scan passport data pages.”
 
Olajire said that the delegation, which included 22 players and team officials, including NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau; Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu; a couple of NFF board members; NFF General Secretary, and Dr Mohammed Sanusi, among other stakeholders, was shown scant respect by Libyan officials, who applied curt manners and spoke in stern tones.

He said that after the airport ordeal, there was no single official of the Libyan Football Federation at the airport to receive the delegation, as is the best practice globally.

“Airport officials could not answer the simple question on where the buses that would take the delegation members back to Benghazi (where the NFF had booked hotel rooms) were.

“When delegation members including the NFF President, Comrade Shaibu, and Dr Sanusi attempted to venture outside the airport to ascertain if there were vehicles waiting for the team, they were stopped in the most uncouth of manners by airport