African Beach Soccer Union President Mahmud Hadejia says preparations have intensified for Nigeria’s Sand Eagles ahead of their forthcoming Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the Nigeria Football Federation putting programmes in place to get the national team ready for competitive action.
Hadejia, who has played a prominent role in the development and revival of beach soccer in Nigeria, said attention has shifted towards ensuring the Sand Eagles are adequately prepared for their qualifying assignment, with Kaduna playing an important role in the team’s build-up.
“Preparations have intensified,” Hadejia said, explaining that the NFF has developed training programmes aimed at helping the players and technical crew reach the required competitive level.
The preparations represent another important step in Nigeria’s attempt to restore its position among Africa’s leading beach soccer nations.
The Sand Eagles have a rich continental history, having won the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations twice, while also representing Africa several times at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
However, Nigeria spent several years away from major international beach soccer competition before beginning its return to the continental scene.
For Hadejia, sustained preparation will be essential if the country is to rebuild successfully rather than rely solely on its reputation and previous achievements.
The development of the domestic game has consequently become an important part of that process, with beach soccer competitions in different parts of the country providing opportunities to identify players capable of representing Nigeria internationally.
Hadejia believes the current training arrangements should help the technical crew improve fitness, tactical understanding and cohesion before the qualifiers.
With African beach soccer continuing to develop rapidly, Nigeria will need to rediscover the consistency that once made the Sand Eagles one of the continent’s most feared teams.
The immediate objective, however, is qualification.
And according to Hadejia, the groundwork is already being laid: the Sand Eagles are back in serious preparation mode, with the NFF putting structures in place to ensure Nigeria is ready when the battle for an AFCON ticket begins.
