The pilot who flew the Nigerian team has offered further clarification on the controversy involving the Nigerian and Libya n authorities over the alleged mistreatment of the Super Eagles. Tensions arose after the flight was unexpectedly diverted to Al-Abraq, a remote airport, instead of the intended destination, Benghazi.
The Nigerian Football Federation NFF claimed the diversion was deliberate, while the Libyan Football Federation LFF denied any wrongdoing, attributing the incident to logistical issues.
In a video interview shared by sports journalist Pooja Media on X, the pilot stressed that the decision to divert the flight was not his, but was made by Libyan authorities.
"The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority to do so," he explained.
"However, as we began our descent, they instructed us to divert to Al-Abraq, which is about 150 miles away, around 300 kilometres east. It wasn't even listed as our alternate airport, which is concerning."
