Super Eagles survive air scare as plane makes emergency landing

The Super Eagles narrowly escaped disaster on Saturday after the plane carrying the team from South Africa to Nigeria was forced to make an emergency landing in Angola due to a cracked windscreen mid-air.

The Nigerian squad was returning from Polokwane, where they defeated Lesotho 2-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday. The players and officials had boarded a chartered ValueJet Airline aircraft.

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According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the aircraft developed a “heavy crack” on its windscreen while airborne, prompting the pilots to divert and make an emergency landing in Luanda, Angola, about 25 minutes into the flight.

“There was a cracked windscreen of the chartered ValueJet Airline aircraft conveying the Super Eagles’ delegation from Polokwane to Uyo delayed the team’s arrival,” the NFF said.

The plane landed safely in Luanda, where the team and crew were assessed before continuing their journey. The NFF confirmed that no one was injured in the incident.

Following a brief delay, the Super Eagles eventually departed Angola and arrived safely in Uyo on Sunday morning. “The @NGSuperEagles have finally arrived Uyo after a delay in Luanda, Angola, due to issues with the aircraft conveying them back home after the win over Lesotho,” the federation posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The emergency landing has disrupted the team’s travel schedule, leaving them with just one full day to prepare for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic on Tuesday.

Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with 14 points, behind leaders Benin and second-placed South Africa. The Super Eagles must win in Uyo to keep their automatic qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.