Sevilla made urgent attempts to rescue Chidera Ejuke and Kelechi Iheanacho from a 13-hour ordeal faced by Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Libya over the weekend, Soccernet.ng understands.
The Nigerian national team, including Ejuke and Iheanacho, was held at an abandoned airport in Libya ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match.
The team departed for Libya on Sunday morning but, due to unexpected circumstances, their plane was diverted from Benghazi to Al Abraq, an airport in northwestern Libya.
The players were left stranded without food or drink for over 15 hours, reportedly as a form of retaliation by Libyan authorities following grievances over a previous match held in Nigeria.
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Sevilla were quick to react, seeking to secure an early return for their key players.
The Andalusian club was actively working to arrange alternative flights for Ejuke and Iheanacho, given the uncertainty surrounding the Super Eagles’ situation.
However, the efforts by Sevilla became unnecessary when the Nigerian government intervened, resolving the issue and allowing the Super Eagles to depart Libya on Monday afternoon.
Following the resolution, Ejuke and Iheanacho returned to Abuja via Kano before heading back to Spain.
Sevilla’s head coach, García Pimienta, hopes to have both players back in training by Thursday as the team prepares for a crucial La Liga fixture against Barcelona on Sunday.
Neither Ejuke nor Iheanacho featured in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Libya in Uyo last Friday, which kept the Super Eagles’ hopes alive for qualifying for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.