Nigeria have pulled out of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Libya and were heading home on Monday, their captain William Troost-Ekong said, in protest at being diverted and abandoned for hours in an airport far from the match venue. The Super Eagles were due to play the hosts Libya in the city of Benghazi, where they hoped to seal a qualification berth for the finals in Morocco next year. But after being stranded for more than 16 hours at an airport 250km (155 miles) away from their intended destination, the Nigeria players said they would not fulfil the fixture. “As the captain, together with the team, we have decided that we will not play this game,” Troost-Ekong said on X. “Apparently our plane is being fuelled as we speak and we should be leaving to Nigeria shortly. “I’ve experienced stuff before playing away in Africa but this is disgraceful behaviour. Even the Tunisian pilot who thankfully managed to navigate the last‑minute change to an airport not fit for our plane to land had never seen something like this before.” The Nigeria Football Federation said that as the team’s charter flight was descending to Benghazi it was diverted to Al Abraq international airport with no alternative transport offered. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) said in a statement that it was in contact with authorities in both nations, with “appropriate action” to be taken against anyone who violated its rules. The Libyan Football Federation said the incident was not deliberate and urged Nigeria to be understanding. “We have the utmost respect for our Nigerian counterparts and want to reassure them that the diversion of their flight was not intentional,” it said, adding that disruptions can occur from routine air traffic protocols, security checks or other logistical challenges. “We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation. We hope that this misunderstanding can be resolved with understanding and goodwill.” The Nigeria striker Victor Boniface complained he had been stuck at the airport for almost 13 hours with no food, wifi or place to sleep. “Africa, we can do better,” he said on X. It is unclear what will happen to the points from the game, with the matter likely to be referred to the Caf’s disciplinary board. Nigeria beat Libya 1-0 in the reverse fixture in Uyo on Friday thanks to a late goal from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, taking them to seven points from three games in their group. Benin have six points, Rwanda two, Libya one. The top two teams in each group advance to the 24-team finals.