Ghana’s national beach soccer team, the Black Sharks, departed Accra for Nigeria on Thursday ahead of their crucial 2026 CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) first-leg qualifier against Nigeria’s Sand Eagles.
The delegation, comprising 15 players and seven technical staff members, left Kotoka International Airport at 12:45 p.m. after facing an unexpected delay. The team had arrived at the airport by 7:00 a.m. for their scheduled 9:00 a.m. departure, only to be informed of a nearly five-hour postponement to their flight to Abuja.
Led by the Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Beach Soccer Committee, the team will transit through Abuja before traveling onward to Kaduna, where they will fine-tune preparations for the weekend encounter.
The Black Sharks will square off against the Sand Eagles on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. local time in Kaduna.
The return leg is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the Keta Beach Soccer Arena (Emancipation Beach) in Ghana.
The aggregate winner over both legs will secure a place at the 2026 CAF Beach Soccer AFCON in Senegal, taking place later this October and November. The continental tournament also serves as Africa’s qualification pathway for the upcoming FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
