‘I'm going to keep it short’ - Super Eagles head coach Eguavoen opens up on Libya incident

Just one hour before their planned landing in Benghazi, the team, who had already won 1-0 in Uyo, was ordered to head to Labaraq Airport by Libyan officials.

Nigerian players were detained at Al-Abraq Airport for more than 17 hours in preparation without refreshments.

The Nigeria Football Federation withdrew the Super Eagles from the game and lodged an official complaint with the Confederation of African Football, leading to Nigeria being awarded three points and three goals and Libya being fined $50,000.

Eguavoen has opted to avoid talking about the team's unsettling treatment during their recent journey to Libya in preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

He said in his pre-match press conference, "I'm going to keep it very short. Normally, football or sports is a unifying factor; normally it's entertainment to unite people, but I'll leave it like that.

"I don't want to go back to what happened in Libya; otherwise, I'll be saying things I don't want to say, so please, it has passed. Let's move forward."

The Super Eagles head coach chose to take a diplomatic stance when asked about the Libya incident by the media.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are set to face the Benin Republic and Eguavoen has warned the players not to be complacent.