Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles, who stunned hosts Mauritania 5-4 in a Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Saturday, are scheduled to return to the country by midnight, a few minutes into Tuesday.

In their first international game in five years, the Coach Abdullahi Isa-led squad came from behind to defeat the hosts in an action-packed encounter in Nouakchott on Saturday evening. Highly-experienced Emeka Ogbonna scored after only two minutes and 14 seconds to set the Supersand Eagles in the right spirit and mood for victory, and another veteran, Emmanuel Ohwoferia doubled the lead for Nigeria 36 seconds later. The hosts halved the deficit to end the first period 1-2.

In the second period, Mauritania hit two quick goals to shoot to the lead, before another veteran, Victor Tale equalized for Nigeria. The hosts again shot into the lead early in the third period, but goals by Taiwo Adams and Tale gave Nigeria the day, and the needed impetus ahead of the return leg.

The return leg will hold at the Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna on Saturday afternoon.

After five years in the international wilderness, Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles will depart Nigeria to Nouakchott on Friday morning for their 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against their Mauritanian counterparts, slated for Saturday.

The match, which is the first of a two-leg fixture, will have Egyptian officials take charge. Hany Farouk El-Sayed Eleraky is the referee, with Ahmed Mohamed Elwan Nofal as Referee 2 and Ibrahim El-Sayed Mahgoub as Referee 3. Khaled Mohamed Elewa will serve as time keeper, while Moroccan El Mansouri Taha will be the commissioner.

The NFF had appointed Abdullahi Isa, a veteran goalkeeper who later became assistant coach of the team, as new Head Coach of the Supersand Eagles, with Christopher Kadiri as Assistant Coach and Bashar Samaila as Goalkeepers’ Trainer.

Experienced players Victor Tale and Emeka Ogbonna are among the playing body, which also includes Arome Isah, Adams Taiwo, Emmanuel Ohwoferia, Godwin Tale, Egan-Osi Ekujimi, Chidozie Frank and Hassan Abdullahi.

The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, 27^th July in Nigeria.

After the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019 debacle that made the NFF to quietly eject the team from the international sphere, a group of enthusiasts, led by Mallam Mahmoud Hadejia, had kept the beach soccer fire burning around the country with the annual Nigeria Beach Soccer League and a range of tournaments.