Players of South Sudan stranded at the airport in Libya
The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) has reported that its delegation was stranded for three hours at a Libyan airport on Sunday, March 23, 2025, due to the absence of representatives from the Sudanese Football Association, who were expected to oversee their reception.
The Bright Stars are set to face Sudan in Round 6 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. However, since Sudan lacks a standard stadium, they have adopted a venue in Libya for the match.
According to a post by the SSFA on their official X account, Libyan immigration authorities seized the team’s passports, leaving them in a state of uncertainty and unable to proceed with preparations for the crucial fixture.
In response to the incident, the SSFA expressed outrage, emphasizing that the treatment of the players was unacceptable. They also called on FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to hold those responsible accountable.
A statement attached to the video shared by the SSFA read: “Footage of the Bright Stars stranded for a staggering three hours at Benina International Airport, Benghazi, Libya.”
Despite the challenges, the Bright Stars managed to train on Sunday evening, March 23, 2025, as they continued preparations for their match against Sudan.
Watch the video below:
A footage of Bright Star stranded for staggering three hours at Benina International Airport, Benghazi Libya, when representative of Sudanese Football Association failed to turn up at their reception. The passports of the delegation were sized by the Libyan Migration authority. pic.twitter.com/XZlG0oVd3N
— South Sudan Football Association (@ssfa_com) March 23, 2025
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