The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, on behalf of the NFF, expressed his appreciation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the words of encouragement from the nation’s number one citizen after the Super Eagles debacle in Libya, where they were stranded for over 15 hours at the Al-Abraq airport.
In a statement released on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser on information and strategy to the president, Tinubu hailed the Super Eagles players for their resilience and said he was deeply moved by the inhumane treatment endured by the team.
He further called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to act swiftly following the maltreatment of the Super Eagles in Libya on Monday, urging them to conduct a thorough investigation and recommend appropriate sanctions against Libya.
Gusau, however, thanked the President for his “words of encouragement”, stating that the government’s swiftness in helping get the team out of Libya is highly appreciated.
“We hereby express our deep and sincerest appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his warm and kind words of encouragement,” the NFF President said. “These words have gone a long way to reassure the players of the firm support of the Government and people of Nigeria for what they do and the efforts and sacrifice they make in representing this great country.
“The commitment and love for the team by the Government and the entire nation was aptly demonstrated by the physical presence of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh at the airport to welcome the team back to Nigeria.”
Gusau also applauded President Tinubu for expressing interest in football matters and also for promoting national unity.
He continued: “Mr. President as the father of the nation, has once again demonstrated his concern and keen interest in the beautiful game of football that unites our peoples from all walks of life and across all known mental, physical, spiritual, political and economic boundaries, and which fosters national unity and friendship among peoples and nations of the universe.”
Furthermore, Gusau, who led the delegation to Libya, also extended some praises to the Tunisian pilot, Captain Abdellatif Mechergui, and crew of the ValueJet aircraft that conveyed the Super Eagles to Libya. He commended them for their support and assistance throughout the trip.
“The captain [Mr. Abdellatif] and crew were awesome. I must commend, in particular, the captain. He did his job professionally and with a touch of excellence, and even intervened at a point to talk to the airport operatives to allow the NFF leadership to go outside the airport to find a way to hire vehicles for the team.”
“As a fellow North African, who had worked in Libya previously, they were ready to offer him hotel accommodation but not any other member of the crew or any Nigerian, as all the hotels in the city disclosed that they had strict orders not to welcome any Nigerian nationality. He refused their offer and rather opted to sleep in the aircraft with the rest of the crew.”
The match between Nigeria and Libya, which was initially scheduled to take place at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, has been reportedly delisted by CAF, with both parties waiting patiently for a verdict from the continent’s football control body.
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