The Tunisian pilot who flew the Nigerian national football team to Libya has shed light on the circumstances that led to their unexpected flight diversion to a remote airport, Al-Abraq, instead of their intended destination, Benghazi.
Controversy arose after the Nigerian delegation, en route to Benghazi for Tuesday’s crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, found themselves stranded for over 16 hours on Sunday following the diversion.
The plane was redirected to Al-Abraq, a small airport typically used for hajj operations, nearly 300 kilometers east of Benghazi.
In a video interview shared by Sports Journalist Pooja Media on X.com and seen by The Eagle Online, the pilot explained that the diversion was not his decision but was mandated by Libyan authorities.
He said, “The flight plan was to land at Benghazi, Benina, and we had approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority.
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“However, as we began our descent, we were instructed to divert to Al-Abraq, which wasn’t even listed as our alternate airport. This decision came from the highest Libyan authorities, not me.”
He expressed concern over the safety risks posed by the sudden change, explaining that the fuel on board was calculated for the original destination.
“In aviation, we have our flight plan, we calculate the fuel to our destination, so we have to avoid this kind of thing because it may make a breach to safety,” he stated, adding that he repeatedly questioned the directive.
“When I asked to land in Benghazi according to my flight plan and according to my authorisation, they said no, it’s from the highest authority, you have to land in Al-Abraq.”
Refuting claims from the media that the diversion was his decision, he said, “Everything is registered in aviation, we cannot hide anything, so I asked them several times, at least eight times, and I warned them, probably I will be in trouble for fuel; they said it’s from highest authority, you cannot land in Benghazi, you have to divert immediately to Al-Abraq,” he added.
He said, “The truth was we were going to Benghazi, and I can show you the evidence of the approval, I have it. But at the last minute, they changed their mind and changed the airport.”
Describing the conditions at Al-Abraq, the pilot highlighted the challenges of landing at what he referred to as a poorly equipped domestic airport.
“There is no ILS (Instrument Landing System), no air navigation approach, no VHR (VHF Omnidirectional Range). We had to make a visual landing, which is particularly difficult by night with marginal weather,” he said, adding that the airport’s lack of facilities left them with “no second chances” if the landing had gone wrong.
In light of the ordeal, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has decided to pull the Super Eagles out of the qualifier match against Libya.
“The players have resolved not to play the match, and NFF officials are now making arrangements to fly the team back home,” the statement read.