“Without bed, food or water”: Moses Simon recounts the “hostage-taking” in Libya of the Nigerian selection

“We were supposed to land in Benghazi, and thirty minutes before we arrived, the pilot received a call saying he couldn’t land there. We had to turn back and divert towards Al Abaq, recounts the leader of the Nantes attack in the columns of L’Équipe. When we arrived, there was no one there. They ended up telling us that we were going to have to sleep there. The Federation had managed to find us a hotel, but it was forbidden for Nigerians! We stayed there, without bed, food or water, among mosquitoes. »

“Everyone was scared”

The Confederation of African Football said in a statement that it had referred its disciplinary panel “for investigation following the disturbing and unacceptable experiences experienced by the Nigerian national football team in Libya”. “Everyone was scared. When you see that your way is blocked, that the airport doors are locked, you inevitably fear that something will happen to you,” regrets Moses Simon.

Nigeria ended up boycotting the match counting for qualifying for the 2025 African Cup of Nations. “It was impossible to play. At 11am we were told a bus could pick us up for a five hour drive. But we had been there since 6:30 p.m. the day before,” concludes the Nantes resident. Back in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, Moses Simon said he was “relieved to return” and “ready” to play this Sunday for the 8th day of Ligue 1 against Nice.