16th November, 2016
Isiaka Olawale, the Captain of Sand Super Eagles, on Wednesday, appealed to football enthusiasts to pray for the team in its bid to win the CAF 2016 Beach Soccer tournament.
Olawale made the appeal in an interview in Lagos.
According to him, the need to excel in the competition cannot be overemphasized because the team had been unlucky in the last two editions.
The event is scheduled to kick off on Dec. 13 and end on Dec. 18 at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“We were unlucky last year in Seychelles; everybody at that tournament was cheering us.
“We worked hard but we weren’t lucky which cost us the World Cup ticket.
“This time around, we have realized that as much as hard work is important, one cannot ignore the importance of prayer.
“We need our fans to remember us in their prayers so that luck will shine on us.
“And again, the fact that we are playing on our soil and seeing our fans cheering us should boost our confidence,’’ he told NAN.
Olawale, a midfielder for Giwa FC of Jos, told NAN that the team would shun distraction to enable them to focus on the tournament.
He explained that the infusion of new players would further fortify the team against their opponents during the tournament.
“In spite of everything happening around us financially, we will just stay focused, we are surrounded by things that can deter us but we won’t be discouraged.
“There are about three new players in the team, so we are ready for this tournament,’’ Olawale said.
The 9th edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer tournament will hold in the Bahamas, Nassau from April 27 to May 7, 2017.
The Sand Super Eagles have won the CAF beach soccer tournament in 2007 and 2009.
Madagascar won the 2015 edition of the Africa Beach Soccer tournament.