The Super Eagles have safely arrived in Uyo ahead of Tuesday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Group C leaders Benin Republic.
The team and officials, returning from their 2–1 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane, landed at the Obong Victor Attah International Airport on Sunday.
Their return journey was briefly disrupted on Saturday when the chartered ValueJet Airline aircraft conveying the squad developed a cracked pilot windscreen, forcing the plane to make an emergency return to Luanda, Angola, just 25 minutes after take-off following a refuelling stop.
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Thanks to swift intervention by ValueJet Airlines and Federal Government authorities, another aircraft was dispatched from Lagos to pick up the team in Luanda.
The replacement flight took off later that evening and landed safely in Uyo after a two-hour, 20-minute journey.
Upon arrival, the players and officials settled into their base at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot-Ekpene, with a training session scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Meanwhile, Group C leaders Benin Republic, Nigeria’s opponents in Tuesday’s decisive clash, arrived in Uyo on Saturday afternoon and are lodged at the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort.
The Cheetahs trained at the practice pitch of the stadium on Sunday morning and will hold their official session on the main pitch at 5 p.m. on Monday, while the Super Eagles train immediately after at 6:15 p.m.
Tuesday’s high-stakes encounter between Nigeria and Benin Republic, two of the three teams still in contention for Group C’s sole automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, will kick off at 5 p.m.
South Africa will host Rwanda in Nelspruit, a fixture that could prove decisive in determining the final Group C standings.
