Bright Stars stranded at Libya airport. (Photo: SSFA).

The South Sudan men’s football team were stranded for three hours at Benina International Airport in Benghazi city in Libya on Sunday, leaving some players feeling sick, football governing body SSFA said.

It is the second time that a foreign football team has been abandoned at an airport in Libya in five months after the Nigerian national football team were stranded in the North African country “under inhumane conditions”.

The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) announced that the Bright Stars had traveled from Egypt to Libya where they would face Sudan in the second leg of the FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Upon arrival in the morning on Sunday, SSFA said the team was expected to meet a representative from the Sudanese side to facilitate its entry into Libya. It added that the Sudanese coordinator did not show up for hours.

“This expectation was not met, and our team found themselves stranded at the airport for a staggering three hours,” it said in a statement.

SSFA added that the situation became more concerning when the Libyan migration authorities seized players’ passports, citing the absence of South Sudanese coordinators as the reason for this action.

It said after three long hours of uncertainty, the migration officers ultimately decided to allow the team to exit the airport without their passports, which remained with the authorities as a guarantee.

“This experience not only caused significant distress for our players but also raised serious concerns about the lack of support and coordination from the Sudanese side.”

“As a result of these unfortunate events at the hands of the Sudan Football Association, most of the players are currently sick, others exhausted and others mentally affected.”

SSFA said such treatments are disrespectful and unacceptable and called on FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to ensure accountability for the incident.

“It is crucial for football associations to uphold their commitments to one another, especially when it comes to the welfare of players who represent their nations.”

Hours later, SSFA posted a picture of the national team in a training session at the Benina Martyrs International Stadium in Libya during which Valentino Yuel Kuach, who plays for Libya’s Murooj FC, joined the national team.

In October 2024, the CAF Disciplinary Board fined the Libyan Football Federation $50,000 and awarded Nigeria three points for a game between the two teams in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers after the Nigerian team was locked in a remote airport for 12 hours.

The Super Eagles had jetted to Libya ahead of their second leg match in Benghazi, but the flight was allegedly diverted to Albraq, about two hours away from the intended destination.

Nigerian players fumed about their conditions on social media and said the Libyan authorities did not provide any transportation and the airport gate was even reportedly locked.