A Tunisian pilot, who was in charge of flying the Nigerian Super Eagles to Libya, has spoken out about how Libyan authorities ordered him to divert the plane to a different airport at the last minute. This shocking revelation raises concerns about the safety of the team during their trip.
According to the pilot, the original plan was to land at Benghazi airport in Libya. Everything had been approved by the Libyan civil aviation authorities before the flight took off. However, just as the plane was about to descend, the Libyan authorities suddenly instructed him to divert to Mitiga airport, which was 150 miles (300 km) away from their intended destination.
The pilot immediately raised concerns with the Libyan officials, warning that the diversion could seriously affect the plane’s fuel reserves and put the safety of everyone on board at risk. He asked them multiple times to reconsider, explaining the danger, but they insisted the change came from the highest level of authority.
With no choice, the pilot followed the order and managed to land the plane safely at Mitiga airport, despite it lacking the proper equipment for a smooth landing. He shared that they had to land the plane visually without the usual approach aids, making the landing particularly difficult.
This incident came shortly after the Super Eagles team experienced severe mistreatment by Libyan officials. The players were stranded at an abandoned airport for 20 hours with no access to food, water, or phone service. In response, the team boycotted their planned match against Libya and flew back home, calling the treatment they received “disgraceful.”
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, expressed his frustration in a series of tweets, accusing the Libyan hosts of playing “mind games” ahead of the scheduled match. Despite the unfortunate events in Libya, Nigeria had previously beaten Libya 1-0 in Uyo on October 11.
The return match, which was supposed to happen in Libya on October 15, did not take place as the Nigerian team refused to play under such conditions.
