Chidera Ejuke, along with their officials, found themselves held hostage at the airport for an unsettling duration, which lasted several hours without access to necessities such as food and water.

This distressing situation forced them to ultimately decline to participate in the scheduled 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against the Mediterranean Knights.

In an interview with Dario de Sevilla, Ejuke expressed the shock and confusion they felt during the incident. “It was a crazy situation that we did not expect. At one point, we realized we couldn’t do anything; we were effectively locked inside the airport,” he revealed.

The ordeal stretched on for over 16 hours, a time frame that felt exceptionally prolonged under the circumstances. The players managed to bring along a limited supply of water and a few snacks from their flight, but those provisions quickly dwindled.

“Yes, it was a long time”, Chidera Ejuke explained. “Without food, we were really struggling. We brought some water when we came from Nigeria, but that wasn’t nearly enough to sustain us for so long.”

Throughout the tense hours, there was an underlying sense of fear and uncertainty among the players. However, they found solace in solidarity, as Ejuke noted, “We were a little scared, but we all stood together so that we wouldn’t go crazy.”

While all the Super Eagles players have returned to their respective clubs, the team’s fans are anxiously waiting for the verdict of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF), who are currently investigating the incident that led to the postponement of the qualifiers.