Libya’s Terrorist Government Hold Nigeria’s Super Eagles Hostage With Threats To The Players’ Safety

CC™ Monday Review

Super Eagles media team on Sunday night confirmed that players and officials of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team were held hostage by Libyan authorities upon their arrival at Al Abaq Airport in Al Abaq, Libya.

In a video posted by the Eagles media team, the players and officials, along with their luggage, were left stranded at the airport, with the Libyan airport officials indifferent to their plight and conversing in Arabic.

The Eagles departed for Libya on Sunday morning, ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday 4 clash against the Mediterranean Knights. Initially scheduled to fly into Tripoli and travel by road to Benghazi, the team altered their plans to avoid unnecessary strain. Instead, they chartered a flight with a brief stopover in Kano before continuing to Benghazi. Libya will host the three-time African champions at the 10,000-capacity Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, located just 10 kilometres from Benghazi, but reports emerged that they were diverted to another city.

“About an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching its destination, Benghazi, was diverted to another city more than a two-hour drive from the original destination,” the Eagles media team said.

SOURCE: PUNCH ONLINE

FIFA to pay Super Falcons their World Cup prize money directly

Super Falcons of Nigeria 

CC™ World Cup Minute

By Ernest Victor

The world football governing body, FIFA, has reportedly changed the payment method for the 2023 Women’s World Cup prize money for the benefit of the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

Based on this development, once a team ends its campaign at the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, their prize money will be paid directly into the players’ bank accounts. This is to prevent the stakeholders in the players’ country from embezzling or tampering with the players’ entitlement.

On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, a video surfaced online showing the FIFA Secretary-General, Fatma Samoura confirming this development to the Super Falcons.

Samoura said the world football governing body had to change the payment method due to the unpaid allowances the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is owing the Super Falcons.

She acknowledged how tough things have been for the Nigerian team and promised to monitor that all their match bonuses get to them directly.

The FIFA secretary-general said, “I know that things have been tough. We have to face the realities of Nigeria. It pains me a lot. It is because of you (the Super Falcons) that, for the first time, the prize money has been ring-fenced in the history of FIFA to ensure that it goes to you”.

This means that the $30,000 the Super Falcons earned in the group stage, and the additional $30,000 the players earned for qualifying for the 2023 Women’s World Cup round of 16 will be paid directly to each player’s bank account.

If the Nigerian team managed to scale through England in the quarter-finals on Monday, August 7, they will earn an additional $30,000 each which will take their total earnings in the tournament to $90,000 per player.

NAIJA NEWS