Five Premier League stars have returned home safely after a terrifying flight.

12/10/2025 23:01:00 PANDATV

The Nigerian national team safely landed at Victor Attah International Airport (Uyo) on Sunday morning, following a terrifying journey when their plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a cracked windshield mid-air.

Among the passengers were five stars currently playing in the Premier League, which caused great worry among fans as news of the incident spread.

According to the team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, the "Super Eagles" plane landed at 8:05 AM, ending 24 hours of tension after the serious incident. Photos posted on social media platform X (Twitter) showed the players with stressed faces, quietly stepping off the plane and dragging their luggage, appearing exhausted.

Earlier, the Nigerian team was on their way from Polokwane (South Africa) back home after a 2-1 victory over Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers. The private plane chartered from ValueJet Airline, arranged by the Nigerian government, was used for both outbound and return flights. After stopping to refuel in Luanda (Angola), the plane took off again but only 25 minutes later, the cockpit detected a large crack on the windshield.

The Nigerian team’s plane had to make an emergency landing due to the cracked windshield mid-flight.

Faced with a safety threat, the pilot immediately requested emergency permission to land back in Luanda. Fortunately, all team members and crew were safe. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) later issued a statement confirming the incident and explained that the initial cause was a sudden change in air pressure while the plane was flying at high altitude.

The incident caused the team’s travel plans to be delayed by nearly a day. The Nigerian government quickly dispatched another plane from Lagos to Angola to bring the team back home, under the direct guidance of the Chief of Staff to the President, the Foreign Minister, and the Aviation Minister.

Notably, Nigeria’s squad includes five players currently playing in the Premier League: Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), and Tolu Arokodare (Wolves). Additionally, star players such as Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman also featured, all working hard to help Nigeria qualify for their seventh World Cup appearance.

After the victory over Lesotho, Nigeria temporarily ranks third in the group, trailing group leaders Benin by 3 points and second-place South Africa by 1 point. Therefore, the upcoming match against Benin next Tuesday in Uyo is pivotal for their direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

Despite the frightening flight, the team’s spirit is believed to have stabilized. NFF officials confirmed that no players were injured or suffered psychological trauma. "Everyone is safe, and the most important thing is that they have returned safely," a federation representative said.

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