Kenyan international David Ochieng has voiced strong criticism towards Nigeria for their reaction to the challenges encountered during their Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifier against Libya, according to Soccernet.ng.
The Super Eagles experienced significant difficulties at Al Abraq Airport, where they were stranded for over 12 hours without food prior to the second-leg match. Despite securing a 1-0 victory in the first leg, thanks to a late goal from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru on October 11, Nigeria’s hopes of extending their lead were thwarted as the return fixture was postponed due to logistical issues.
In response to Nigeria’s complaints, Libya claimed their treatment mirrored the challenges their national team faced during travels to Nigeria. Ochieng argued that while Nigeria encountered unfortunate circumstances in Libya, they have historically engaged in similar behavior when hosting visiting teams.
Recalling his own experiences from a 2014 World Cup qualifier in Calabar, Nigeria, Ochieng noted that Kenya’s Harambee Stars struggled to access proper training facilities. He shared how the Kenyan team had to train on the grounds of a local primary school and faced long journeys to their matches.
The match concluded in a 1-1 draw, with Nigeria equalizing late before winning the return leg in Kenya.
While acknowledging the challenges the Nigerian players faced in Libya, Ochieng called for Nigeria to embrace better sportsmanship.
“I sympathize with what Nigerian players underwent in Libya,” Ochieng told Mozzart Sport. “Such shameful events should not be happening in this day and age. However, it is crucial for Nigeria to engage in an honest conversation about how they treat visiting teams. They have a history of doing this and should change.”
Ochieng added, “The Nigerian team has the quality to win matches. I fail to understand why they should resort to tactics that are outdated. Football is about friendship, and it’s time African teams that engage in such behavior matured.”
Historically, Nigeria holds an impressive record against Kenya, remaining unbeaten in their 14 meetings, with 12 wins and four draws.
