By Samuel Adeola
Tension gripped passengers on Saturday as a ValueJet aircraft conveying Nigeria’s Super Eagles from South Africa made an emergency landing in Angola after a crack was discovered on one of the plane’s windows.
A top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), official confirmed the incident, describing it as “a close call that could have been worse.”
The team was en route to Uyo, Akwa Ibom, for their final World Cup qualifier when the pilot detected the fault and diverted for safety.
The Group C race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains tight, with Benin Republic leading on 17 points, followed by South Africa with 15 and Nigeria on 14.
Nigeria revived their hopes on Friday with a 2-1 win over Lesotho in Polokwane, thanks to goals from captain William Troost-Ekong and debutant Akor Adams.
South Africa were held 0-0 by Zimbabwe in Durban, while Benin secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Rwanda.
Tuesday’s final fixtures will determine who claims the group’s sole World Cup ticket.
