Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo has voiced strong criticism against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for permitting Libya to host their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on home soil. His remarks come in light of a distressing incident where the Nigerian national team was held for over 20 hours in Libya after their flight was diverted to a small airport ahead of their scheduled match.
In an interview with Arise TV, Omeruo shared his shock at the situation, recalling a similar experience during his time with Nigeria's U-20 team, where they were caught in an unforeseen conflict. “It was crazy because I had a similar situation... we didn't know there was going to be a war situation,” he said, referring to an experience of riots in Benghazi.
Omeruo expressed disbelief that CAF allowed the matches to proceed in Libya, stating, “For me, I think it was terrible. I didn’t even know Libya had to play their games there because I know the country is not at peace until now. It was a wrong decision by CAF to let them play their home games in Libya.”
He highlighted the dangers involved, especially regarding the diverted flight, stating, “It’s so dangerous. I’m just happy they are back and they are safe for real.”
Omeruo emphasized the need for player welfare to be prioritized in such uncertain situations. He suggested that Nigerian delegates should travel ahead of games to assess safety conditions, which would help ensure a more organized and secure environment for players.
“If someone was there in Libya, they would have gotten the information beforehand,” he added, advocating for better preparation to avoid similar incidents in the future