Super Eagles Stranded in Angola as Benin Arrive Uyo Ahead of World Cup Decider

|By Babatunji Wusu

As the race for a 2026 World Cup ticket heats up, the Super Eagles of Nigeria have been left stranded in Luanda, Angola, after their chartered flight developed a fault mid-air.

The Nigerian delegation, returning from Polokwane, South Africa, was forced to make an emergency return to Luanda when the ValueJet aircraft conveying the team suffered a cracked windscreen shortly after takeoff. The pilot, acting swiftly, steered the plane back to safety, averting potential disaster.

Meanwhile, their opponents, the Cheetahs of Benin Republic, led by coach Eric Chelle, have already landed in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, where the decisive 2026 World Cup qualifier is set to take place on Tuesday. The Beninese contingent was initially expected to arrive on Saturday but touched down early to settle in and fine-tune their preparations.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is now racing against time to arrange an alternative flight for the Super Eagles, as any further delay could disrupt the team’s final training sessions ahead of the high-stakes encounter.

Nigeria’s 2–1 victory over Lesotho in their previous match kept their qualification hopes alive, but they must now defeat Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic and hope South Africa drop points against Rwanda to keep their World Cup dream intact.