Adetilewa Adebajo, chairman Stationary Stores Football Club of Lagos has posited that the Libyan Football Association could face severe consequences as the Nigeria national team were left stranded in Libya ahead of their match on Tuesday.
Reports suggest this is a deliberate attempt by Libyan authorities to frustrate the Nigerian squad, who are set to compete against Libya on Tuesday.
The ongoing situation raises questions about potential sanctions from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the Libyan Football Association.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Adebajo called for immediate diplomatic intervention, suggesting that punitive measures are likely to follow.
“It’s a shame, but I think at the end of the day, the sanctions that CAF and FIFA will impose on the Libya FA are going to be very punitive,” Adebajo warned.
“I think we should make this a diplomatic incident. Our ambassador in Libya should get to the matter right away, and we should also call the Libyan ambassador to Nigeria for discussions. More importantly, we should talk to FIFA, because it’s a modern era. These are old tactics that a lot of teams used to employ to frustrate opponents.”
Concerns also linger regarding the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) potential decision to withdraw the team from the match. The players have expressed worries about their mental and physical readiness to compete under such distressing circumstances.
Adebajo remarked, “With this sort of incident, I think that we might look at a replay. These players have to be back in their clubs by the weekend, so another day delay might be something they might look at.”
Reflecting on the challenges faced by teams in international competitions, Adebajo lamented the unacceptable nature of the current situation.
“You won’t expect at the international level for something like this to happen… At this level, this is completely unacceptable,” he said, reminiscing about past strategies employed to ensure team safety.
As the situation unfolds, the Nigerian football community waits anxiously for a resolution that ensures the well-being of the Super Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian football community is in mourning following the death of Peter Fregene, a celebrated former goalkeeper for the Green Eagles, now known as the Super Eagles as the national senior team finds itself in a precarious situation since their arrival in Libya.
In his tribute to Peter Fregene, Adebajo shared fond memories of the legendary player.
“Peter Fregene was somebody that I knew growing up – he was one of the players of Stationary Stores that won challenge cups. These players were the darling of Lagos and Nigeria,” he recalled.
Adebajo expressed gratitude to those who supported Fregene throughout his challenges, including notable figures such as Segun Odegbami, Femi Otedola, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Peter Onyema, Allen Onyema of Air Peace, former governor of Lagos Raji Fashola as well as the current governor of Lagos, Jide Sanwu Olu.
While the legacy of Fregene is celebrated, the challenges facing Nigerian football remain daunting.
He highlighted the lack of revenue generation in the Nigerian Premier League compared to international standards, emphasising the need for reform.
“Stationary Stores was founded in 1950 and is the oldest surviving club in Nigeria, but the structure of Nigerian football does not support it today,” Adebajo explained.
“Until the league is properly structured to generate revenues, it’s going to be very difficult for teams like us to play,” he concluded.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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