Nigeria draw Ghana in Beach Soccer AFCON qualifiers

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.