South Sudan national football team Bright Star was subjected to a terrifying experience at Benina International Airport in Benghazi, Libya, after they were stranded for three hours due to the absence of a representative from the Sudan Football Association (SFA).
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) has condemned the experience and urged FIFA and CAF to be held responsible.
The team departed from Cairo, Egypt, at 8:00 am. in hopes of an uneventful entry into Libya, where they are to confront Sudan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers matchday six.
They, nonetheless, arrived at 10:12 a.m., where they were to be greeted by no SFA representative to facilitate their entry.
Libyan migration authorities seized their passports, citing the lack of coordination. Players and the technical team were stranded, with frustration and confusion.
Three tense hours later, the authorities permitted the team to leave the airport, though their passports were not returned as guarantee.
The SSFA was highly disappointed with the Sudanese FA, emphasizing that there must be coordination between football associations.
The incident has left some of the players sick, tired, and traumatized.
The SSFA described how their team was treated as unacceptable and disrespectful. They complained to FIFA and CAF to take action, that such negligence not be repeated.
Find video below:
https://x.com/ssfa_com/status/1903815166082331088?t=25ydG7nTDgB9PwUGFDlclA&s=19
