17th October, 2012
The NFF has confirmed Supersand Eagles participation in the Eight-Nation Samsung Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup competition in Dubai, UAE from 30 October through 3 November.
The tournament will feature four-time world champions, Brazil, reigning world champions, Russia, hosts, UAE, next year’s Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup hosts, Tahiti, USA, Japan and Switzerland.
The participating teams have been drawn into two groups of four teams each with UAE, Russia, Tahiti and USA in Group A and Nigeria, Brazil, Japan and Switzerland in Group B.
Teams are expected to arrive in Dubai on Sunday, 28 October.
Only three of the invited 18 players are yet to report to the Supersand Eagles’ training camp in Badagry with Abdul Haruna having recently lost his father in-law, Bartholomew Ibenegbu down with typhoid fever and Ogbonnaya Okemiri excused to attend a screening exercise with Akwa United.
Coach Adamu Audu Ejor’s team train twice daily after maintaining once-a-day training for the past days.
The Nigerian side reached the quarterfinals of last year’s Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy and won the Four-Nation Invitational Tournament held in Lagos, styled Copa Lagos, in December 2011.They defeated four-time world champions, Brazil, England and South Africa on their way to glory.
The Dubai tournament is expected to put the Nigerian team in great shape for the defence of their title at this year’s Copa Lagos, set for 14 December through16.