The Supersand Eagles will host Mauritania in Kaduna for the second leg of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Beach Soccer team, the Supersand Eagles, are close to qualifying for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations after a thrilling 5-4 win over Mauritania in the first leg of their qualifier.
Goals from Emeka Ogbonna and Emmanuel Ohwoferia put Nigeria 2-0 up before Mauritania pulled one back, ending the first half 2-1.
Mauritania then scored twice in the second half to take the lead. Victor Tale equalized for Nigeria, but Mauritania scored again before Taiwo Adams and Tale secured the win for Nigeria.
The team will now host their North African opponents in the decisive second leg at the Murtala Muhammed Square in Kaduna on Saturday.
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With a slim one-goal advantage, the Supersand Eagles aim to secure their place in the continental competition in front of their home fans.
The victory in Mauritania marked a strong return to international competition for the team after a five-year absence. The Supersand Eagles have a rich history, having won the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations twice, in 2007 and 2009, and securing multiple silver and bronze medals in the competition.
On the global stage, they have represented Africa at numerous FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups, with their best achievement being a quarter-final finish in Italy in 2011.
However, the team’s journey was interrupted in 2019 after a poor performance at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay, leading to a withdrawal from international competitions by the Nigerian Football Federation.
