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- The Super Eagles of Nigeria were held hostage by Libyan authorities at Al Abraq International Airport
- The NFF lodged an official complaint to CAF, and the match was postponed pending an investigation
- Most of the players were in action for their clubs over the weekend despite the inhumane treatment
The Super Eagles of Nigeria endured a 16-hour ordeal after Libyan authorities held them hostage at Al Abraq International Airport on Sunday and Monday.
CAF postponed the match after the players, in agreement with the Nigerian government, refused to play. They flew back to the country before returning to their clubs.
Source: Getty Images
Clubs assessed the players’ physical and mental well-being before the weekend action, and some were passed fit to play, while others had reduced roles.
Legit.ng looks at how the 22 players in the team performed, excluding Samuel Chukwueze, who withdrew after the first leg and returned to Milan due to an injury.
How Super Eagles stars performed
Victor Boniface started in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. He missed a penalty in the first half before scoring an opportunistic goal in the second half to win it for the German champions.
Maduka Okoye started in goal for Udinese against AC Milan and conceded a first-half goal to compatriot Chukwueze, who was not in Libya with the national team. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was an unused substitute in Lazio's 1-0 loss to Juventus.
As noted by ANS, Benjamin Tanimu came off the bench to make his long-awaited debut. He played 13 minutes for Crawley Town in their 4-1 League One loss to Reading. Semi Ajayi was in action for West Bromwich Albion, playing the full match in the 1-1 draw against Oxford United.
Frank Onyeka started and played 85 minutes for German club Augsburg in the 3-1 loss to Freiburg, while Raphael Onyedika completed 82 minutes in Club Brugge’s 2-1 win over Westerlo. Nantes’ Moses Simon played 90 minutes in that 1-1 draw against Nice.
Fulham's duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey played all 90 minutes as Fulham fell to a 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa at Craven Cottage. Wilfred Ndidi returned to defensive midfield for Leicester and completed the 90 minutes in their 3-2 comeback win over Southampton.
Alhassan Yusuf started for New England Revolution in the MLS' final day match against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami. He grabbed an assist for Dylan Borrero to make it 2-0 in the first half. His team bottled it and lost 6-2, with Messi scoring a second-half hat trick.
Ballon d'Or nominee Ademola Lookman started for Atalanta in their win over Venezia but was withdrawn at halftime, while Stanley Nwabali played 120 minutes for Chippa United in a 1-0 Carling Cup loss to TS Galaxy.
Captain William Troost-Ekong played the full match as Al-Kholood secured a valuable away point at Al-Fateh to move out of the relegation zone in the Saudi Pro League.
Fullback Bruno Onyemaechi was left out of Boavista’s matchday squad in their 1-0 loss against Varzim in Taca de Portugal. Chidera Ejuke started for Sevilla but was substituted injured in the first half, while Kelechi Iheanacho settled for a place on the bench and played no part in the action in the 5-1 loss to Barcelona.
Nottingham Forest’s duo of Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will face Crystal Palace on Monday evening, while Amas Obasogie’s Fasil Kenema will also play at the same time.
Boniface survives ghastly accident
Legit.ng reported that Victor Boniface escaped with minor injuries after he was involved in a ghastly accident which left his car damaged on Saturday evening.
The striker shared the news on his Instagram page, thanking God for saving him from what could have been a very disastrous incident days after his ordeal in Libya.
Sevilla sends message to Super Eagles
Legit.ng reported that Sevilla sent a message to Super Eagles during their hostage situation at the hands of Libyan authorities at the Al Abaq International Airport.
The Spanish club showed solidarity with their two players Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke, with the rest of the national team in the North African country.
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Source: Legit.ng
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