Sports Minister drums support for Eagles

The absence of star players in his squad notwithstanding, Libya’s Head Coach, Nasser Al-Hadiri, is sure of picking a draw in today’s 2025 AFCON qualifiers against the Super Eagles, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The Super Eagles will battle Libya’s Mediterranean Knights at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, also known as the Nest of Champions, at 5.00, before both teams fly to Libya for the second leg, which comes up on Tuesday.

While the Super Eagles top the group with four points, Libya has just one point from two matches.
Speaking with journalists ahead of the tie, Al-Hadiri said: “We are aiming to return to Libya with at least a draw after the Super Eagles match, though we have not yet reached the required level of readiness to face a strong team like Nigeria.

“The team was not in good shape before I took over. The absence of several players in our first training sessions has made it difficult to establish a comprehensive tactical plan for the match. This lack of preparation presents an additional challenge for the team, who will need to put in extra effort to secure a positive result away from home. We aim to return with a draw to keep our qualification hopes alive,” he said.

Today’s game against the Super Eagles would be Al-Hadiri’s first match with Libya after the federation sacked the coach who led them in the first two qualifiers against Rwanda and Benin Republic.

The Mediterranean Knights held their first training session at the Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, has urged the Super Eagles to do everything possible to beat Libya and consolidate their place at the group’s summit.