Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles, have touched down in Uyo, where they will host Benin in their final match of the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles were in South Africa, where they beat Lesotho 2-1 in Polokwane on Friday, but after a refueling stop in Angola on their way back home, there was trouble in the air.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stated that a cracked windscreen of the chartered ValueJet Airline aircraft that was transporting the Super Eagles’ delegation from Polokwane in South Africa to Uyo delayed the arrival of the players and officials in the Akwa Ibom State capital.
“The same aircraft had flown some members of the delegation to Polokwane on Thursday night, arriving in the South African city on Friday morning,” stated NFF.
“However, after a routine refueling stop in Luanda, Angola (where the plane also stopped to refuel on Thursday night, and where the same plane had stopped to refuel to and from Bloemfontein in South Africa for the Matchday 8 encounter between the Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana last month), the aircraft suffered a cracked windscreen mid-air after take-off, and the pilot did well to guide the airplane safely back to the airport in Luanda.”
NFF added, “ValueJet Airline and the relevant Federal Government of Nigeria authorities, including the Hon. Minister of Aviation, the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, worked assiduously to get the necessary overflying and landing permits for another aircraft to fly from Lagos, pick up the delegation in Luanda, and fly them to Uyo.
“The Super Eagles have finally arrived in Uyo.”
Nigeria are third in Group C with 14 points, behind leaders Benin (17 points) and South Africa (15 points), and the last match is crucial for all countries in their bid to qualify for next year’s global showpiece.
