Nigeria draw Ghana in Beach Soccer AFCON qualifiers

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Nigeria have been drawn against Ghana in the second round of the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers following the draw in Egypt on Tuesday.

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The two West African rivals will battle for a place at the continental tournament, with the first leg scheduled to take place between October 9 and 11, 2026.

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The return leg will be played between October 16 and 18, with both teams aiming to secure qualification for the finals.

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Senegal will host the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations.

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Nigeria will be hoping to overcome Ghana and secure their place among Africa’s best beach soccer nations at the finals, having missed out on the last edition.

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The Supersand Eagles failed to reach the 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations finals after losing to Mauritania on the away-goals rule following a 10-10 aggregate draw.

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The two-time African champions secured a 5-4 win in the first leg in Nouakchott, with goals from Emeka Ogbonna, Emmanuel Ohwoferia and Taiwo Adams, as well as a brace from veteran Victor Tale.

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Abdullahi Isa’s team were favoured to wrap up qualification in the reverse encounter at the Beach Soccer Arena inside the Murtala Muhammed Square in Kaduna on Saturday, but capitulated to a 6-5 defeat against the visitors, who progressed on the away-goals rule.

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The Nigeria Football Federation moved to revive the team in 2024 after a five-year hiatus by setting up a committee to oversee the organisation of local competitions and handle all matters relating to the sport.

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Before then, Nigeria’s last appearance at a major beach soccer tournament was the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay, where they failed to win a match.

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Before the five-year hiatus, Nigeria had been a continental and, to some extent, global force in beach soccer, with the Supersand Eagles winning the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in 2007 and 2009 and reaching the quarter-finals of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Italy in 2011.

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