President of Libyan Football Federation Al Shalmani Resigns After Super Eagles Airport Ordeal

President of the Libyan Football Federation, Abdelhakim Al-Shalmani, has resigned from his position following the Super Eagles of Nigeria airport ordeal.

Al-Shalmani stepped down from his position during a regular meeting of the Federation’s General Assembly.

According to The Libya Observer, an English and Arabic online newspaper based in Tripoli, Libya,  Al-Shalmani announced his resignation in a statement. 

He was quoted as saying, “I do not want to be part of the failure in Libyan sports. 

“We faced difficulties during the previous period.

“I thank all members of the General Assembly, and I forgive everyone from all segments of the sports sector.

“I have a history in the International, Arab, and African Federation, and no one can deny that.”

The resignation comes after the Super Eagles of Nigeria accused  Libyan of subjecting the team to ‘inhumane treatment’ upon arrival in the country For Tuesday’s 2025 AFCON qualifier. 

The Nigerian squad departed on October 13 via a chartered ValueJet aircraft, only to have their flight diverted just an hour before landing. 

They landed at Al Abraq Airport, located over two hours away from their intended venue. They were left unattended and stranded for several hours before the Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong raised an alarm. 

The situation prompted a statement from the Libyan Football Federation, stating that the diversion of flight was not intentional, but was due to a consequence of standard air traffic control protocols. 

They also narrated the major obstacles that their own national team faced upon arriving in Nigeria for the first leg of the AFCON qualifiers, without making public accusations or questioning the integrity of the Nigerian authorities.Linda Ikeji