Libya’s team for Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria is expected to fly direct to Uyo, just over 24 hours before the game at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday.
Feelers from Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) indicated that The Mediterranean Knights will head straight to the Akwa Ibom State capital aboard a chartered flight.
After their expected arrival early Friday, footballlive.ng gathered that the visiting team will have their fist and only official training session at the match centre in the evening of same day.
On the other hand, match officials from Democratic Republic of Congo will land in Lagos on Thursday, after which they will take the next available domestic flight out to Uyo two days before the AFCON 2019 first leg qualifier between the Super Eagles and the Libyans.
Referee Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo will be the man in the middle and will be assisted by DR Congo compatriots, Olivier Safari Kabene and Nabina Blaise Sebutu.
Libya’s manager, Adel Amrouche is already making plans for the second leg, hence his decision to open camp in Sfax, where his 22-man squad is expected to acclimatise before leaving on Friday morning.
Libya top Group E of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers with four points, same as South Africa, who have an inferior goal difference, but The Knights are a point ahead of Nigeria.
The Eagles, whose players started arriving in Uyo on Monday, will have to eke out at least four points from the upcoming matches in order to upstage Libya at the top of the table.