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Super Eagles Make Emergency Landing in Angola After Aircraft Windshield Cracks Mid-Air

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LUANDA, Angola — Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, was forced to make an emergency landing in Luanda, Angola, after the aircraft transporting the team developed a cracked windscreen mid-flight on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

The team was returning to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from Polokwane, South Africa, where they had secured a 2–1 victory over Lesotho in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match, when the incident occurred.

According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the ValueJet aircraft had made a scheduled stop in Luanda for refuelling.

Shortly after take-off, the pilots detected a crack in the cockpit windscreen, prompting an immediate return to the airport.

“The pilot did well to guide the aeroplane safely back to the airport in Luanda,” the NFF said, commending the crew for their professionalism under pressure.

The federation added that it was working closely with ValueJet and the Nigerian government to secure the necessary overflying and landing permits for a replacement aircraft to be dispatched from Lagos to pick up the delegation.

“The airline and the federal government are working assiduously to get the necessary overflying and landing permits for another aircraft to fly from Lagos, pick the delegation in Luanda and fly them to Uyo,” the NFF statement read.

No injuries were reported among the players or officials, though the experience reportedly left several members of the squad shaken.

The Super Eagles are due to play their final and decisive Group C match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Squirrels of Benin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday.

Nigeria, currently third in the group with 14 points, must defeat Benin Republic and hope that South Africa, who sit second with 15 points, fail to win against Rwanda to secure an automatic qualification spot. Benin leads the group with 17 points.

The Group C standings are as follows:
Benin – 17 points (+5)
South Africa – 15 points (+3)
Nigeria – 14 points (+3)
Rwanda – 11 points (0)
Lesotho – 9 points (–3)
Zimbabwe – 5 points (–6)

Despite the scare, NFF officials confirmed that the team remains focused on Tuesday’s fixture, which will determine whether Nigeria qualifies directly for the World Cup or faces a longer route through the playoffs.

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