Nigeria’s Sand Eagles have all 20 invited players in camp in Kaduna as they prepare for a two-legged CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana, the Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed. The first leg is set for Saturday, October 10 in Kaduna, with the return in Accra on Saturday, October 17, and the winner earns a place at the continental finals in Senegal.
According to the NFF, the squad has spent the past week on tactical and technical sessions at the Murtala Muhammed Square Sports Complex under the supervision of coach Christopher Kadiri. Head coach Abdullahi Isa is currently with the Golden Eaglets, who are preparing for the WAFU B U17 Championship in Ouagadougou next month.
Second round, two legs
- NigeriaTBCGhana
- GhanaTBCNigeria
Kebbi and Kada supply the backbone of the Sand Eagles squad
The invited group leans heavily on the domestic beach soccer league. Kebbi BSC provide seven players, while Kada BSC contribute five, including goalkeeper Godwin Tale and defender Victor Tale. Anambra BSC have three players in camp, and Ibom, Niger, Igbogbo, Edo and Jigawa clubs have one each.
Goalkeepers 3
- Godwin TaleKada BSC
- Nuhu Noma AikiKebbi BSC
- Olalekan OladipoKada BSC
Defenders 6
- Victor TaleKada BSC
- Taiwo AdamsKebbi BSC
- Emmanuel OhwoferiaKebbi BSC
- Clement EganosiAnambra BSC
- Effiong EyoIbom BSC
- Chinweze GabrielAnambra BSC
Forwards 11
- Dozie FrankKada BSC
- Stanley EkweAnambra BSC
- Tanko EmmanuelKada BSC
- Ekene ObiKebbi BSC
- Hassan AbubakarNiger BSC
- Sadiq UmarKebbi BSC
- Kazeem OyewunmiIgbogbo BSC
- Hassan AbdullahiKebbi BSC
- Godspower IgudiaEdo BSC
- Hamza BaguduJigawa BSC
- Hamza IsaKebbi BSC
20 players named
20 players as listed by the NFF. Final matchday selections have not been announced.
The NFF listed three goalkeepers, six defenders and eleven forwards, a balance that reflects how attack-minded beach soccer is, with outfield players expected to shoot from almost anywhere on the sand. The Sadiq Umar in this squad is the Kebbi BSC forward and not the Super Eagles striker of the same name.
A west African derby stands between Nigeria and Senegal 2026
CAF’s qualifying draw paired Nigeria and Ghana in the second round, with 16 nations chasing seven places at the finals, which run from November 7 to 15 in Senegal. The hosts are already through as reigning champions. Other second-round ties include Côte d’Ivoire against Mauritania, Tanzania against Mozambique and Burundi against Uganda, while Egypt and Morocco await the winners of the first-round ties.
Playing the first leg at home gives the Sand Eagles the chance to build a lead in front of their own fans before the trip to Accra. The Beach Soccer AFCON also doubles as Africa’s route to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, so the tie against Ghana carries more than a continental ticket. It comes during a busy stretch for Nigeria’s national teams, with the Super Eagles in Bissau for their AFCON 2027 qualifier against Guinea-Bissau and the Flamingos fresh from winning the WAFU B U17 Girls Cup.
