The Super Eagles, on a chartered flight on Sunday morning, departed the shores of the country for Libya ahead of Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group D fixture against the Mediterranean Knights at Benina Stadium, which is located just 10 kilometres from Benghazi.
Initially scheduled to fly into Tripoli and travel by road to Benghazi, the team altered their plans to avoid unnecessary strain. Instead, they boarded a chartered flight with a brief stopover in Kano before continuing to Benghazi.
Recall the AFCON finalists secured a 1-0 win over Libya in Uyo on Friday, with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s 87th-minute strike saving Nigerians’ blushes and keeping the team top of their group.
Here are five things to expect, which Augustine Eguavoen’s team must guard against to leave the 10,000-capacity Benina Stadium unscathed.
Biassed Officiating
The Super Eagles were victims of this even on their soil on Friday, with Ademola Lookman’s genuine goal ruled out for offside, as well as the Atalanta forward being denied a penalty earlier in the game.
Nigeria should anticipate more of this on the trip, as it is a common practice among North African teams.
Pressure from Mediterranean Knights
Libya are a decent side that alluringly press the ball at will, their bottom placement on the log notwithstanding. Their performance during the first leg shows they have the ability to perpetually keep the Williams Troost-Ekong Super Eagles defence on the back foot.
Being last in the standings leaves their desperation frighteningly high. To them, a victory against Nigeria carries as much value as securing a ticket to next year’s finals in Morocco.
Hostile Crowd
North African fans always play the role of a 12th player for their teams by not only cheering ceaselessly but also notorious for making visiting teams uncomfortable. This will be fuelled by their fabricated stories of maltreatment in Nigeria, which were obviously targeted at whipping up sentiments in their favour.
“They showed us a bit of what to expect there in Libya. But we’re mentally prepared for their hostility. We know they will want to come out to win,” Simon said.
“This will be good for us. So we will have to play neutral. We are really, really mentally prepared for them.”
Resignation of Libya FA boss
The sudden resignation of the President of the Libyan Football Federation, Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani, on Sunday morning, is a factor that could work for or against the home team.
Some players snubbed invitations to the team over the ongoing wrangling in the country’s football fraternity, which culminated in the resignation of Al-Shalmani. This happening just two days before the match leaves some of the players at a crossroads, which will adversely affect their emotional balance.
On the other hand, it could be a major motivating factor for the team against the backdrop of spiralling calls for his resignation. The development could make the players want to perform extraordinarily in order to drive that point home.
To this end, Eagles should focus on the game, which they would possibly do, given their experience and level of exposure.
Early goals
The home team will undoubtedly come out firing on all cylinders in search of early goals to enable them to settle in the game and kill time to protect a win being desperately sought. This is where Stanley Nwabali must be cautious and brave between the sticks and the Ekong-led backline eagle-eyed for the duration of the game, without expecting favourable decisions from the referee.
It is advisable for the Eagles to go for early goals to unsettle the hosts, hoping Victor Boniface and Taiwo Awoniyi would live up to their billings on the international stage in the absence the talismanic Victor Osimhen, who returned to training on Saturday from a short injury lay-out.
