A photograph shared by state-owned Saudi television channel al-Ekhbariya, also taken from inside the plane, showed a flame shooting out from under the wing just as it was touching down on the landing strip. 

FRIGHTENED, OF COURSE
The Saudi federation released photographs of the players smiling and looking calm as they boarded a bus for the Mercure Hotel in central Rostov.

"All the Saudi national team players are safe, after a technical failure in one of the airplane engines ... and now they're heading to their residence safely," it said in a statement on Twitter.

The team, who are making their first appearance at the World Cup since 2006, suffered the biggest defeat in the tournament so far when they were thrashed 5-0 by hosts Russia in the opening game in Moscow on Thursday.

BREAKING: Saudi Arabia team plane catches fire in mid air after 'technical malfunction' pic.twitter.com/WGlqieT78h

— AbsaPrem (@PSL_TV) June 18, 2018

"I want to reassure you that we got to Rostov safely, it was a simple technical fault in the airplane but thank God we are now in the hotel and things are good," Osama Hawsawi, captain of the Saudi team, said in a video shared on social media.

"The whole delegation is well," midfielder Hattan Bahebri said in a video shared on the team's official Twitter page.
"Of course, we were a bit frightened, but thank God," he added, laughing.

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