“I’m scared for our lives” - Premier League star Wilfred Ndidi expresses fear as Nigeria players continue to be stranded in Libya
Premier League midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has admitted fearing for his life as Nigeria's flight to Libya was diverted. The Nigerian football team was left stranded at the airport for more than 12 hours ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.
The Super Eagles were without food, water, or even a phone connection during their time at the airport which team captain William Troost-Ekong described as "abandoned".
The team was scheduled to land in Benghazi on Sunday (October 13) for the AFCON qualifier on Tuesday (October 15) but their plane was diverted to Al Abraq due to unforeseen circumstances. The distance between the two cities is more than 250 km [155 miles], leading to the team waiting to be taken to their scheduled destination.
During their time in Al Abraq, the team feared for their lives due to the unavailability of basic necessities such as food and water.
Wilfred Ndidi, who plays for Leicester City in the Premier League, shared two stories on his Instagram page, expressing the gravity of the situation. In the first post, he said:
"This is not football. Very embarrassing. Hostage to a national team. Disgrace"
His second story read:
"This is becoming scary. I'm scared for our lives."
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) have released a statement where they confirmed they are "making plans to fly the team back home". The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is yet to comment on the situation.
Ndidi expected to boycott AFCON qualifier to prepare for Premier League action
Alongside the Premier League midfielder, Nigeria's captain Troost-Ekong also expressed his thoughts on social media. He claimed that the team was held hostage and questioned if the situation was due to the Libyan team playing "mind games" ahead of their match, which was scheduled to be played on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old defender, who plays his club football for Saudi Pro League side Al-Kholood, used his social media platforms to share his side of the story.
"12+ hours in an abandoned airport in Libya after our plane was diverted whilst descending. They’ve locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games," he posted on X.
He shared pictures from the airport on his X account:
A few hours after his initial post, he posted again claiming that the airport they were stranded at had fuel for their plane, but no refueling took place.
As per LeicestershireLive, Troost-Ekong confirmed that Nigeria will not play the match, with the team set to return to their home country. Wilfred Ndidi, who played 74 minutes for the Super Eagles in the home match against Libya, is expected to line up in Leicester CIty's Premier League tie at Southampton on Saturday, October 19.