The Nigerian Football Federation confirmed the tragic deaths of three members of a sports media crew during an armed ambush last Tuesday. The incident occurred on the Ihiala-Orlu road in Anambra State as the crew traveled to cover the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifier between Nigeria and Libya.
According to the Federation’s statement, the victims were part of a 14-person team from the sports channel “SuperSport.” The ambush resulted in the deaths of three individuals, while eight others were rescued. Two managed to escape, and one person remains missing. The group included both media staff and security personnel, en route to Oyo Stadium for the match.
The Nigerian Football Federation expressed its condolences to the victims’ families and lamented the senseless loss of life due to the violent attack.
In a separate incident, the Libyan national football team faced significant logistical challenges during their trip to Nigeria. Upon arrival at Abuja International Airport, the team was left waiting for hours without an official reception. Additionally, there were delays in transportation to their hotel. The team later traveled by road under difficult conditions to Oyo.
Citing security concerns, Nigerian authorities denied the team’s request to return by land, instructing them to fly back to Abuja. This caused further delays, with the team’s return to Libya postponed until Sunday morning due to a lack of available aircraft.
Nigeria secured a 1-0 victory over Libya in Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, as part of the tournament’s third round of matches.