JOHANNESBURG — A plane carrying journalists to a World Cup match made an emergency landing near Johannesburg 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 had to bring down his plane after experiencing problems with its undercarriage.

The airport also confirmed the runway was cleared in time for film star John Travolta to fly from Lanseria to Durban in his own Qantas-branded 707 aircraft.

Travolta is a spokesman for the Australian airline and is in South Africa to support the Australian football team at the World Cup.