Libyan government bows to pressure, clears Nigerian flight to return Super Eagles players home after 14-hour detention

After over 14 hours of detention at Al Abraq International Airport, the Libyan government has finally granted clearance for the Nigerian flight carrying the Super Eagles players and officials to return home. 

The breakthrough came following intense pressure from various parties, forcing Libyan authorities to act.

The update was shared by renowned sports journalist Adepoju Tobi Samuel, popularly known as OgaNlaMedia, who confirmed that the Libyan government had issued clearance for the ValueJet Airline to fly and supply aviation fuel to the aircraft.

In his post, he said: “After pressure from several quarters, the Libyan government has agreed to issue clearance for ValueJet Airline to fly and sell aviation fuel to the airline.”

However, the situation initially seemed more complicated, with Libyan authorities proposing a pre-clearance to land in Benghazi before flying to Nigeria. “They came with a gimmick to issue a pre-clearance to land in Benghazi first before we fly to Nigeria. The same Benghazi that was busy yesterday,” Samuel added.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has remained firm, insisting that the clearance from Al-Abraq Airport must allow the team to fly directly back to Nigeria, avoiding unnecessary stops.

The clearance ends the tense standoff and paves the way for the Super Eagles’ return following their trip for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.