Libya’s highest authority ordered me to divert Super Eagles flight, says pilot

The Tunisian pilot who flew the Super Eagles of Nigeria to Libya has spoken out about the controversy surrounding the flight diversion.

In a now-viral video, the pilot said the original plan was to land in Benina, a town in the Benghazi area of Libya, with prior approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority.

He said, however, upon beginning their descent, he was instructed to divert to Al-Abraq, which was not listed as an alternate airport.

The Tunisian man said he was told the order for flight diversion came from “Libya’s highest authorities”.

He said he repeatedly questioned the flight diversion order due to the limitation of aviation fuel but was “ignored by Libyan aviation authorities”.

“The flight plan was to land in Benghazi, Benina, and we had approval from the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority,” the pilot said.

“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 authorities, not me. In aviation, we calculate fuel based on our destination. Diverting unexpectedly can compromise safety.

“Everything is documented. I asked to land in Benghazi as per my flight plan, but they denied it, instructing me to divert immediately.

“I repeatedly questioned the directive and warned them about fuel limitations, but they insisted that we land in Al-Abraq, citing orders from the highest authority.”

VIDEO: Tunisian pilot speaks on how Libyan authorities diverted @NGSuperEagles flight pic.twitter.com/OKt0FJUZwj

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— TheCable (@thecableng) October 15, 2024

BACKGROUND

The Super Eagles’ flight landed at the Al Abaq airport for the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Libya.

The match was scheduled for Tuesday at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Benina, Benghazi.

However, the Super Eagles players and coaches were held at the Al Abaq airport for over 20 hours without food and drinks.

On Monday morning, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the Super Eagles’ withdrawal from the qualifying match and asked them to return home. The Nigerian team then arrived in Kano from Libya.

Reacting to the situation, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) said the flight diversion experienced by the Nigerian national team was not “intentional”.

The LFF rejected claims of “foul play or sabotage” and argued that their team faced a similar situation in Nigeria.

Also reacting, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it is investigating the “disturbing” incident.