Nigeria’s beach soccer national team, Super Sand Eagles will aim to put aside thoughts ab out their loss to Paraguay in a build-up match last weekend, as they aim to hit the ground running against Portugal in their first match of the global championship on Friday, megasportsarena.com reports.
The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup begins this Thursday in Asunción, Paraguay, ahead of which the Nigerian squad tried the hosts for size in a friendly but lost 3-7, a result which coach of the team, Audu Adamu (Ejo) said was only a learning curve for his lads.
‘Ejo’ chose instead to look on the bright side of his team’s preparations, as he recalled how they earlier beat Tahiti 9-4 in another build-up match, as two time African champions aim to begin their campaign on a winning note, when they clash with world number two Portugal at ‘Los Pynandi’ World Cup Stadium – named after the Paraguayan national beach soccer team.
Nigeria earned a ticket to feature at the 16-team World Cup after finishing second at the African Beach Soccer Cup of Nations in Egypt in December 2018, runners-up behind the continent’s back-to-back champions, Senegal, who will also aim to reach the final on Sunday, 1st December.
Nigeria’s delegation of players, coaches and team officials flew out of the country on Friday, 8th November to participate in an eight-nation pre-competition event that took place in Asuncion from 12th to 16th November, and ‘Ejo’ said he was satisfied with his wards’ performances.
The Eagles earlier this week moved into their camp base at Dazzler Hotel in Asuncion, and have been training hard since Monday, as they countenance an interesting encounter with the world number two team on Friday, ahead of which ‘Ejo’ believes the lessons they learnt against Paraguay and Tahiti will come in handy for his wards.
The 2007 and 2009 African champions, as well as quarter-finalists at the World Cup in 2007 and 2011, will campaign in a fierce Group D alongside Portugal as well as the globe’s number one team, Brazil and Oman, who are ranked number 14, while Nigeria are currently rated 21st.
After their first game against Portugal on Friday, the Eagles will next take to the beach against Oman on Sunday, 24th November and then end pool play versus Brazil two days later, which be almost a week after hosts Paraguay tackle Japan in the contest’s opening game on Thursday.
Ahead of his side’s first match this Friday, ‘Ejo’ has listed veterans Abu Azeez and Victor Tale in his final squad of 12, with Emmanuel Ohwoferia, Emeka Ogbonna, Godspower Igudia, Dami Paul, Taiwo Adams, Godwin Tale, Egan-Osi Ekujimi, Babatunde Badmus, Godwin Iorbee and Hameed Kareem also in the roster.
The full first round pool for the championship has Group A: Paraguay, Japan, Switzerland and USA; Group B: Uruguay, Mexico, Italy and Tahiti; Group C: Belarus, Senegal, Russia and United Arab Emirates; as well as Group D: Brazil, Oman, Portugal and Nigeria.