A plane carrying journalists to a World Cup match made an emergency landing near Johannesburg on Sunday, sending sparks flying as its belly flopped along the tarmac, an airport spokesman said.

All those on board the flight escaped unhurt, including a group working for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network who were on their way to cover Algeria's match against Slovenia.

Mike Christoph, operations manager at Lanseria airport, located to the northwest of Johannesburg, said that the pilot had to get his plane down after experiencing problems with its undercarriage.

"After take-off, it realised that one of its undercarriage wheels was malfunctioning," Christoph told AFP.

"They spent about an hour in the air, circling the airport trying to resolve the problem, going through the normal procedures, and couldn't get it right. So they elected to land without wheels on to the runway."

The chartered plane had been heading for the northern city of Polokwane where Slovenia eventually ran out 1-0 winners over Algeria.

Thembisa Fakude, executive director of Al-Jazeera for Southern Africa, confirmed that all the team who work for the network's sports service escaped unharmed.

"They are all safe. None has been injured," he told AFP.

"Of course they were afraid, but now they are all fine."

Fakude said that some of them had found alternative transport to Polokwane where they managed to cover the match. Algeria are the only Arab team in the tournament and Sunday's match was their opener.

The charter had 16 people onboard, including two crew, added Christoph.

Passengers left the aircraft through emergency exits after it came safely to a stop.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said that the captain of the African Skies plane was a hero.

"We want to commend the captain and crew, as well as the emergency services and all other stakeholders, for their role in ensuring a safe emergency landing," said the minister.

US Vice President Joe Biden had flown out of the same airport just before midnight Saturday after attending the England-USA match in northwestern Rustenburg.

"Pulp Fiction" moviestar John Travolta did manage to fly his old Qantas jet out of the airport after the crash landing, heading to the eastern city of Durban to watch Australia play World Cup 2006 hosts Germany.

The episode was the latest headache for Al-Jazeera's World Cup coverage. Its broadcast of the opening match between South Africa and Mexico on Friday was hit by outages which the company claimed was a result of sabotage.

Al-Jazeera Sport, which has exclusive transmission rights of the event in the Arab world, was deliberately jammed on the Nilesat and Arabsat satellites, according to a statement issued by the company.

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