- Nigeria Draw Mauritania or DR Congo in 2027 U 23 AFCON Qualifiers
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Super Sand Eagles will battle Ghana for a Beach Soccer AFCON place.
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Both qualifying campaigns will begin decisive fixtures later this year.
Nigeria will face either Mauritania or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 U 23 Africa Cup of Nations.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Super Sand Eagles will also face Ghana in the second round of the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The draws were conducted on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. The U 23 AFCON qualifying draw was held in Cairo, Egypt, while the Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the Super Sand Eagles’ pairing with Ghana through its official X account.
The U 23 Eagles received a bye into the second round alongside 13 other teams because of Nigeria’s performances in the last three editions of the competition.
The qualifying series will begin in September, with the first round ties scheduled for September 28 and October 6, 2026.
Nigeria will enter the competition in November, with the first leg against either Mauritania or DR Congo scheduled for November 9. The return leg will take place on November 17.
A victory over either opponent would send the U 23 Eagles into the third and final qualifying round.
In the final round, Nigeria could face the winners of the Burkina Faso versus Sierra Leone or Zambia tie for a place at the 2027 U 23 AFCON.
Seven teams will qualify for the 2027 finals and join hosts Egypt in the eight team tournament.
The competition will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Super Sand Eagles Draw Ghana
Meanwhile, the Super Sand Eagles will face Ghana over two legs in October as they seek to qualify for the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The first legs are scheduled to take place between October 9 and 11, while the return fixtures will be played between October 16 and 18.
Senegal will host the 2026 Beach Soccer AFCON for the second time after staging the competition in 2021.
The tournament will also determine Africa’s representatives at the 2027 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, with both finalists securing qualification.
Senegal are the most successful nation in the history of the competition, having won five titles and the last five consecutive editions, including the 2024 tournament in Egypt.
Nigeria rank second with two titles.
Cameroon won the inaugural edition in Durban, South Africa, in 2006 after defeating the Super Sand Eagles 5 3 in the final, while Madagascar won the tournament in 2015.
The Super Sand Eagles have featured at six Beach Soccer World Cups, appearing in the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2019 editions.
Their best performances came in 2007 and 2011, when they reached the quarter finals.
Nigeria have, however, missed the last three editions of the Beach Soccer World Cup.
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