The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has decided to pull out the Super Eagles from the 2025 Africa Nations Cup (Afcon) against Libya which was scheduled for Tuesday, October 15.

The decision stemmed from the shoddy and hostile treatment meted out on the Nigerian contingent by the Libyan authorities.

According to the NFF, in a statement on Monday, the Libyans subjected the Nigerian contingent to a hostage situation as they were locked up at the Al Abraq International Airport in Libya for over 12 hours after they arrived on Sunday, unable to reach their hotel in Benghazi, which is three hours away.

Explaining the chaotic situation, the NFF said the plane conveying the team had earlier been diverted, leaving the players and officials stranded without any assistance from the Libyan Football Federation, which failed to provide transportation.

“The Nigerian delegation for Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier against Libya is still at Al Abraq Airport, 12 hours after landing,” the NFF said.

“The chartered ValueJet aircraft was, strangely and in a dangerous manner, diverted to the small airport just as the pilot was completing his approach to Benghazi Airport,” the NFF stated.

The NFF added that the fatigued and frustrated players have now resolved not to play the match and in support of the players’ decision, is currently arranging for the team to fly back to Nigeria, effectively pulling them out of the fixture.

“Players have resolved not to play the match any longer, and NFF officials are making plans to fly the team back home,” the statement concluded.

Captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, also announced that the team will boycott the match against Libya.

Troost-Ekong’s who made the announcement via X in a series of tweets on Monday morning, expressed disappointment over the unfair treatment meted out to the Nigerian team in Libya.

“12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Lybia after our plane was diverted whilst descending. Lybian government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games,” Troost-Ekong wrote.

“I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian Pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.

“Upon arrival he tried to find a nearby airport to rest with his crew to be denied at every hotel again under Government instruction. He could sleep there but NO NIGERIAN crew members allowed. They have returned to now sleep on the plane which is parked up.

At this point we have called for our Nigerian Government to intervene and rescue us. 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.

We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with int. football.

The qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco threw up one of the most surprising results of the rounds when tiny Comoros Island proved there are no more minnows in football as they shocked Tunisia at home in a 1-0 defeat on Friday to end a run of 16 consecutive home victories in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers by the Carthage Eagles.

Comoros, a tiny island nation off the south-east coast of Africa, have a habit of causing upsets; they did the same thing by beating Ghana to reach the second round at the 2022 AFCON for the first time in their history.

Despite that, the Comorans were given little chance of succeeding away to Tunisia, a former AFCON champions and one of Africa’s football giants who are ranked fifth in Africa— 82 places above Comoros in the world.

But the islanders had something up their sleeves as French second-tier league forward Rafiki Said scored midway through the second half in Rades to lift Comoros to second in Group A, one point behind Tunisia halfway through the campaign to set up an exciting second leg on Tuesday in Abidjan, the Ivorian commercial capital due to a lack of an international-standard stadium in Moroni, the capital of Comoros.

In other matches, fans of the Nigerian Super Eagles had to endure 85 anxious minutes in Uyo against Libya before Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru fired the winning goal past Murad al Woheshi.

The Mediterranean Knights had employed the now famous ‘dark arts’ in thwarting the star-studded Eagles team which had the likes of Atlanta star, Ademola Lookman, Leverkusen forward, Victor Boniface, Nantes’ Moses Simon, Fulham duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, William Troost-Ekong, Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest and other top stars, but could not break down the determined North Africans until Dele-Bashiru’s inspired moment.

The win takes the three-time AFCON champions to the top of Group D with seven points ahead of Benin with six, Rwanda two and Libya one.

Elsewhere, Premier League stars Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Bryan Mbeumo Brentford were on song for Egypt and Cameroon, while South Africa hammered Congo 5-0.

Record seven-time champions, Egypt, had to dig deep to see off stubborn resistance from Mauritania in Cairo until Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan netted 69 minutes into the Group C clash.

Salah then put the outcome beyond doubt with a second goal 10 minutes later to maintain the perfect record of the Pharaohs after three rounds.

Egypt sit on top of the group with nine points, leaving the trio of Cape Verde, Botswana and Mauritania, all with three points, battling to claim the second qualifying place for the 2025 finals in Morocco.

Mbeumo was on fire as he netted just before half-time to put Cameroon ahead of Kenya, who were route 4-1 in Yaounde with Vincent Aboubakar, Martin Hongla and Christian Bassogog the other scorers.

The victory lifted Cameroon to the top of Group J with seven points, while Zimbabwe has five, Kenya four and Namibia are pointless.

The Bafana Bafana recorded one of its biggest wins hammered Congo for five with Mamelodi Sundowns striker, Teboho Mokoena bagging a brace.

Further goals from Bathusi Aubaas, who stretched the lead to 3-0 by half-time, Lyle Foster and substitute Iqraam Rayners completed the rout of a poor Congolese side.

Algeria also pulled off an impressive comeback win against Togo, as they won 5-1 after falling behind early in the match. Riyad Mahrez and his compatriots showed relentlessness with Said Benrahma stealing the show with his brace.

Elsewhere, Ghana wasted glaring scoring chances in their encounter against Sudan which ended 0-0 stalemate, further putting serious pressure on the coach Otto Addo tutored side who are now under immense pressure as they remain third on two points because of the result.

In other matches, DR Congo defeated Tanzania 1-0 while Botswana recorded a surprise victory with the same scoreline over Cape Verde, Burkina Faso also impressed in their clash against Burundi, beating the country 4-1 at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpe Olympic Stadium, with Dango Outtara going all out to score a brace in the fixture.

Former African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane scored for Senegal and Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson completed a 4-0 Group L rout of Malawi, who had goalkeeper Brighton Munthali sent off after 16 minutes in Dakar.