Nigeria’s Super Eagles have safely arrived in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, after an unexpected flight delay from South Africa caused by a technical fault.
The team, preparing for their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic on Tuesday, landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, at 8:05 a.m. on Sunday, according to team media officer Promise Efoghe.
“Finally, Super Eagles arrive in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. The team touched down at 8:05 a.m. Sunday morning,” Efoghe said in a statement to the media.
A video later shared by the team’s media department showed players and officials disembarking from the ValueJet aircraft, marking the end of a tense and delayed journey that began in Polokwane, South Africa.
The Super Eagles departed Polokwane late on Saturday after their match preparations. However, the flight turned anxious when the ValueJet aircraft, which had earlier stopped in Luanda, Angola, for refuelling, developed a technical fault mid-air.
About 25 minutes after take-off, the pilot made an emergency U-turn back to Luanda after a loud crack appeared on the aircraft’s windscreen.
The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed that the cracked windscreen forced the flight to return to Luanda, where all players, officials, and accompanying government delegates safely disembarked.
The federation added that the pilot “guided the airplane safely back to the airport in Luanda” and that ValueJet Airline worked closely with the Nigerian government, including the Ministers of Aviation and Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Staff to the President, to secure flight permits for a replacement aircraft.
“The ValueJet Airline and relevant Federal Government authorities are working to obtain the necessary overflying and landing permits for another aircraft to fly from Lagos, pick up the delegation in Luanda, and transport them to Uyo,” the statement said.
The replacement aircraft eventually completed the journey on Sunday morning, ending nearly 12 hours of travel disruption for the team.
The Super Eagles will now focus on their decisive World Cup qualifier against Benin Republic on Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
