Saudi football team safe after plane engine catches fire at World Cup

STUFF

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Saudi team officials say the players have landed safely after their plane's engine caught fire on their flight to Rostov-on-Don for a World Cup game against Uruguay.

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation posted a statement on Twitter saying it "would like to reassure everyone that all the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines that has just landed in Rostov-on-Don airport, and now they're heading to their residence safely".

The team posted photos of the players exiting the plane and smiling on Tuesday morning. They said the fire was "merely an accident" and were quick to clarify that the plane was not owned by the team and was provided to them by the International Air Transport Association.

The plane used by the Saudi Arabian football team caught fire on the way to their next World Cup destination.

The plane used by the Saudi Arabian football team caught fire on the way to their next World Cup destination.

The Saudis were beaten 5-0 by Russia in the World Cup opener in Moscow last week. Uruguay edged Egypt 1-0 in its first game in Group A.

 

It's going from bad to worse for Saudi Arabia at the World Cup.
AP

It's going from bad to worse for Saudi Arabia at the World Cup.