Beach Soccer Race 2026: Hard-fighting Sand Eagles lose narrowly to Senegal again
Nigeria’s Beach Soccer national team, Sand Eagles, fought bravely and commendably before a narrow 4-6 defeat to African champions Senegal in their second friendly match at Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna, on Monday.
Senegal had recorded a similar victory in the first leg on Saturday, even as the Sand Eagles showed little sign of a team that had not played competitively on the international stage for two years.
On Monday, the Coach Abdullahi Isa-tutored side showed even greater verve and doggedness, with Hassan Abdullahi, Hamza Manga, Sodiq Umar and Hassan Abubakar scoring against the more illustrious visitors.
For Senegal, Libasse Mbaye, Mamadou Sylla, Assane Ba, Mandione Laye Diagne and goalkeeper Oussaynou Faye were on target, while Nigeria’s Godspower Igudia agonisingly deflected the ball into his own net to add to Senegal’s tally.
The two-match series provided valuable preparation for Nigeria ahead of their Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON) qualifying clash against Ghana next Saturday. Despite the narrow losses, the friendlies offered the Sand Eagles an opportunity to fine-tune their tactical and technical preparedness before the crucial qualifiers against the Black Sharks, with the first leg scheduled for Saturday, 10th October 2026 in Kaduna before the team travels to Accra, Ghana for the return on Sunday, 18th October.
The Confederation of African Football has now scheduled this year’s Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations finals for 28th November – 6th December in Senegal.
