Plane carrying Nigerian team makes emergency landing in Angola

The Nigerian team's return home after their win over Lesotho nearly turned into an air disaster, when the plane carrying the team was forced to make an emergency landing in Angola after the cockpit window cracked mid-flight.

Nigeria is fighting to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the team used a chartered plane from ValueJet Airlines, which was also used to take them to South Africa for the World Cup qualifiers. After a 2-1 victory in Polokwane on October 10, the plane took off from Luanda (Angola) - a refueling stop - when the unexpected incident occurred just 25 minutes after leaving the runway.

The pilot immediately sent out an emergency signal and turned around to land safely at Luanda airport, all players and team members were absolutely safe.

The NFF confirmed the incident disrupted the Super Eagles' schedule, delaying their travel to Uyo city, where they will host Benin in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on October 14.

The Nigerian government has stepped in. The President's Chief of Staff, along with the Foreign Minister and the Aviation Minister, are coordinating to arrange another plane from Lagos to pick up the team and continue their journey.

Nigeria’s squad includes five Premier League stars, including Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Frank Onyeka (Brentford) and Tolu Arokodare (Wolves). In addition, two key strikers, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, are also present, determined to bring the team to the seventh World Cup in history.

Nigeria is currently third in the group, three points behind Benin and one behind South Africa. The upcoming match in Uyo is therefore vital in the race for a direct ticket to the World Cup.

It was a flight that almost turned into a nightmare, but luck smiled on coach Finidi George and his team. Now that the smoke has cleared, Nigeria can focus all their energy on the real task - beating Benin to keep their World Cup dream afloat.

Source: https://znews.vn/may-bay-cho-doi-tuyen-nigeria-ha-canh-khan-cap-giua-troi-angola-post1592967.html