Coach Audu Adamu Ejo and his Beach Soccer National Team, Supersand Eagles’ crew will head to Lagos this weekend as the camp of the team opens ahead of an African Beach Soccer Championship qualifying fixture against Libya, coming up next month.
Ejo, who led the team to a seventh –place finish at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy in 2011, has called 20 players for this exercise that will also prepare the team for the Power Horse Invitational Tournament in Durban, South Africa, March 6-8.
From the 20 players, Ejo and his assistants will select 12 players to represent Nigeria at the tournament in Durban, before the first round of the continental championship qualifier against Libya in Lagos on March 14. That match has already been fixed for Elegushi Beach, Lagos, with the return leg in Tripoli six days later.
It is the first time that Nigeria will be involved in qualifiers for the African Beach Soccer Championship, meaning there is growing awareness and interest in beach soccer on the African continent.
The qualifying fixtures also set Madagascar against South Africa, Senegal to play the winner between Mali and Tunisia, Morocco to face the winner between Djibouti and Sudan, Ghana to play the winner between Cameroon and Uganda, Egypt to trade tackles with the winner between Kenya and Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire up against the winner between Mauritius and Mozambique.
ALL THE INVITEES:
Goalkeepers: Oladipo Olalekan (Owibeseb FC, Lagos); Ehibhi Festus (Bridge Boys, Lagos); Ndubuisi Maduji (Stationery Stores, Lagos)
Defenders: Chinedu Richard (Eko Abete, Lagos); Emmanuel Ohweferi (Owibeseb, Lagos); Victor Talle Shinene (Confluence, Kogi); Idowu Olatunbosun (Enyimba, Aba); Atiku Sulaimon Dayo (Leads United, Lagos); Lati Sani (Bridge Boys, Lagos); Ogunjobi Kamoru (My People FC, Lagos); Isiaka Lawal (Leads United)
Strikers: Bartholomew Ibenegbu (Warri Wolves FC); Abu Azeez (Warri Wolves); Emeka Ogbonna (Leads United); Badmus Babatunde (Owibeseb, Lagos); Jamal Akewusola (Badagry Beach Soccer Team); Samad Kadiri (Union Bank); Edwin Opawe (My People FC); Okeke Leonard (My People FC); Akintunde Idowu (Owibeseb)
