Panic in the Sky! Super Eagles Arrive Uyo Safely After Midair Scare, Emergency Landing in Angola Over Cracked Aircraft Window

Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has finally landed safely in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, after a terrifying midair scare forced their aircraft to make an emergency landing in Luanda, Angola, on Saturday.

The team, returning from South Africa after their crucial 2–1 victory over Lesotho in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, reportedly faced a moment of panic when a crack appeared on one of the aircraft’s windows mid-flight, prompting the pilot to divert for safety.

According to reports, the ValueJet aircraft conveying the players and officials from Polokwane was in the air when the pilot detected the fault. Acting swiftly, he diverted to Angola where the plane made an emergency landing.

“It was a close call that could have been worse,” a senior Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official who was on board told SaharaReporters. “The pilot noticed a visible crack in one of the windows and made an emergency decision to land. Everyone was tense — we thank God it didn’t escalate.”

After hours of uncertainty and waiting in Luanda, ValueJet Airlines dispatched another aircraft to ferry the team safely to Uyo. The NFF later confirmed the squad’s safe arrival via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday morning.

> “Update: 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. Now to get one over Benin! Yes, we can,” the post read.

Prominent sports journalist Adepoju Tobi also confirmed their arrival, writing:

> “Super Eagles Update: After the delay in Angola, the Super Eagles are back in Uyo, Nigeria. ValueJet Airline sent another aircraft to Angola. Benin Republic and Gernot Rohr MUST fall.”

The Super Eagles’ victory over Lesotho — sealed by goals from captain William Troost-Ekong and striker Akor Adams — kept Nigeria’s qualification hopes alive as the tension in Group C reaches fever pitch.

Following Saturday’s results, Benin Republic leads the group with 17 points, while South Africa and Nigeria follow closely with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

All eyes are now on Tuesday’s decisive encounter in Uyo, where Nigeria must overcome Benin Republic to secure the group’s sole automatic qualification ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.