BY SALAU AADEKUNLE KAMORU
Nigeria’s delegation to Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho in the South African city of Polokwane safely returned to the country on Sunday morning, landing at the Obong Victor Attah International Airport at 8.05am.
A cracked pilot windscreen forced the chartered ValueJet Airline aircraft conveying the team from Polokwane to return to the Luanda airport, 25 minutes after take-off following a refueling stop in the Angolan capital on Saturday afternoon.
However, swift action by ValueJet Airline and Federal Government authorities enabled another ValueJet Airline aircraft to take off from Lagos and pick the team in Luanda. The airplane flew for two hours and 20 minutes from Luanda before landing in Uyo.
Players and officials have settled into the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Ikot-Ekpene, and team sources confirmed that there will be a training session at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium at 5pm on Sunday.
Group C leaders Cheetahs of Benin Republic, who are Nigeria’s opponents in Tuesday’s showdown, arrived in Uyo on Saturday afternoon and are lodged at the Ibom Icon and Golf Resort. The team trained at the practice pitch of Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Sunday morning.
On Monday, the Cheetahs will have their official training at the main pitch of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium from 5pm, while the Super Eagles take their turn at 6.15pm.
Tuesday’s big battle, between two of the three teams still in contention for Group C’s lone automatic ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in North America, will kick off at 5pm. Simultaneously, the clash between South Africa and Rwanda, which is also of importance to the final outcome of Group C, will commence in Nelspruit.
