Super Eagles player, Kenneth Omeruo, has criticised the decision by the Confederation of African Football to allow Libya to host their AFCON qualifiers on home soil, calling it a “wrong decision” due to safety concerns in the region.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, Omeruo recounted a similar experience during his time with Nigeria’s U-20 team, highlighting the dangers involved.
“It was crazy because actually I had a similar situation… when we were playing in under 20 and we didn’t know there was going to be a war situation and we flew there to play. By the end, we got out and then we saw on TV that there were actually riots happening in Benghazi,” he said.
Reflecting on the current situation, he expressed disbelief that CAF allowed games to proceed in Libya.
“For me, I think it was terrible. I didn’t even know Libya had to play their games there because I know the country is not at peace until now. So I think it was a wrong decision by CAF to let them play their home games in Libya,” Omeruo stated.
The defender also mentioned conversations with fellow players like Victor and Awazim, noting their shared concerns about the situation.
He emphasised the risks, saying, “The crazy one was even diverting the flight. It’s so dangerous. It’s so dangerous and I’m just happy they are back and they are safe for real.”
Omeruo underscored the need for prioritising player welfare, especially in uncertain situations like this. He pointed out that players are often unprepared for such scenarios, particularly during youth tournaments, and stressed the importance of advance preparations.
“I think it’s very important for us as Nigerians to at least have a delegate travel before the game… With that, the players will feel safe and everything will be more organised,” he added.
He also suggested that sending a representative ahead of the team could have helped mitigate the situation.
“If someone was there in Libya, they would have gotten the information beforehand… They could try to fight this situation before the players actually board the flight to travel,” Omeruo added.
Earlier, the Super Eagles of Nigeria were left stranded at Abraq International Airport in Libya, less than forty-eight hours before an AFCON qualifier against Libya, scheduled for last Tuesday.
The Nigerian delegation en route to Benghazi for the crucial match was left stranded for over 16 hours after their flight was diverted mid-flight to Al Abraq, a small airport typically reserved for hajj operations.
