National Teams
Sand Eagles to face Mauritania in 2024 Beach Soccer AFCON Qualifiers
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s beach soccer national team will face Mauritania in the qualifiers for the 2024 Africa Beach Soccer League next month.
The draw for the qualifiers was conducted on Thursday with the two-time African champions set to play Mauritania between July 19 and 21, 2024, in the first leg.
The return leg in Nigeria will be held between July 26 to 28 with the winner on aggregate qualifying for the Beach Soccer AFCON in Egypt.
The 2024 Beach Soccer AFCON will also serve as the qualifiers for the next FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles.
The Sand Eagles are set to kick their ball for the first time since 2019 when the team was disbanded by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) under President Amaju Melvin Pinnick.
In a bid to return the team to international football, the current NFF board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau registered the team for the Qualifiers.
The technical crew of the team is expected to be announced in the coming days with the draw for the qualifiers and opponents now known.
Meanwhile, record champions Senegal will face debutant Guinea in the qualifiers while Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire face off in the clash of two West African teams.
2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw
Guinea vs Senegal
Angola vs Morocco
Ghana vs Cote D’Ivoire
Mauritania vs Nigeria
Tanzania vs Uganda
Seychelles vs Mozambique
Burundi vs Malawi
