Nigeria's football team stuck at Libya airport, boycott AFCON qualifier

Nigeria's soccer players said on Monday they will boycott their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Libya, after being stranded overnight at Al Abraq Airport in what the team captain described as mind games.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to play the second-leg tie on Tuesday. The first leg, which Nigeria won 1-0 on Friday, involved similar accusations of sabotage from the Libya team.

Team captain William Troost-Ekong said the plane had been due to land at Benghazi Airport but was diverted at the last minute to Al Abraq some 220 kilometers (136 miles) away.

It was not immediately clear why the flight was diverted and The Associated Press could not reach the Libyan government for comment.

The Libyan government rescinded our approved landing in Benghazi with no reason," Troost-Ekong said on X. They've locked the airport gates and left us without phone connection, food or drink. All to play mind games.

Pictures posted online by the players showed some of them lying on airport .