Panic as Super Eagles’ flight makes emergency landing in Angola over cracked window

An aircraft carrying Nigeria’s Super Eagles from South Africa to Uyo made an unscheduled landing in Angola on Saturday after a crack was reportedly discovered in one of its windows, prompting brief panic among passengers.

A senior Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, who was part of the travelling contingent, confirmed the incident, describing it as “a close call that could have been worse.”

According to the source, the team had departed from South Africa and was en route to Uyo, Akwa Ibom, for a crucial World Cup qualifying fixture when the pilot noticed the fault midair and diverted to Angola for an emergency landing.

The Super Eagles’ travel scare comes as the battle for qualification from Group C of the FIFA World Cup African qualifiers reaches a tense finale. Following Friday’s matches, Benin Republic lead the group with 17 points, trailed by South Africa with 15 and Nigeria on 14.

With only one matchday left, Tuesday’s fixtures will determine which side secures the group’s sole automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

In Durban, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe, missing the chance to seal qualification early. Coach Hugo Broos’ men must now defeat Rwanda in their final outing to stay in contention.

Meanwhile, in Polokwane, Nigeria’s Super Eagles kept their hopes alive with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Lesotho. Captain William Troost-Ekong scored from the penalty spot before Akor Adams added a second goal, earning three valuable points that keep Nigeria firmly in the race.

Elsewhere, Benin Republic maintained their edge with a late 1–0 victory over Rwanda, courtesy of Tosin Aiyegun’s decisive strike — ensuring the qualification battle will go down to the wire.