Sand Eagles Lose to Ghana on Penalties in 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier
Nigeria’s Sand Eagles lost 4-5 on penalties to Ghana’s Black Sharks after a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg of their 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie in Kaduna on Saturday.
Isa Hamza Manga scored a hat-trick for Nigeria, including the opening goal, while Ekene Obi also found the net in extra time as the Sand Eagles battled to secure an advantage ahead of the return leg.
However, Ghana fought back to force a penalty shootout, with Mawuli Sosu scoring twice and Wise Nyamadi netting an extra-time equaliser to keep the Black Sharks in contention.
Ghana held their nerve in the shootout to win 5-4, leaving Nigeria needing a strong response in the return leg in Keta next Sunday.
The decisive second leg will determine which team qualifies for the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal. The Sand Eagles must now win away from home to keep their hopes of reaching the continental tournament alive.
