An aircraft conveying Nigeria’s men’s national football team, the Super Eagles, was forced to make an emergency landing in Luanda, Angola, after its windshield cracked mid-flight on Saturday.
The ValueJet flight, which had departed from Polokwane, South Africa, en route to Uyo, Nigeria, reportedly returned to Luanda just 25 minutes after takeoff due to the incident.
According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the aircraft developed a “cracked windscreen mid-air” shortly after a refuelling stop in the Angolan capital. Fortunately, no injuries were recorded among the players or crew.
The Super Eagles were returning home after their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier victory over Lesotho. Following the incident, the team was transferred to another ValueJet aircraft, which safely completed the trip to Uyo later in the day.
Providing an update on X (formerly Twitter), the NFF confirmed:
“The @NGSuperEagles have finally arrived in Uyo after a delay in Luanda, Angola, due to issues with the aircraft conveying them back home after the win over Lesotho. Now to get one over Benin!”
Among the players onboard was Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen. His club also acknowledged the incident, posting:
“The plane carrying the Nigeria National Team made an emergency landing at the airport in Luanda, Angola, shortly after takeoff due to a crack in the windscreen. We extend our best wishes to the delegation, including our footballer Victor Osimhen.”
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Group C leaders Benin Republic on Tuesday evening at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
This incident adds to a series of similar occurrences globally. In June, a Delta Air Lines flight from London to Detroit made an emergency return to Heathrow after the pilot detected a cracked windscreen less than an hour into the journey.
