AFCON BS 2016 : Ghana Draw Rivals Nigeria

West African rivals Ghana and Nigeria have been drawn in Group A for the final tournament of the second edition of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations fixed for 13-18 December 2016 in Lagos.

Cote d’Ivoire and Egypt complete Group A whilst holders Madagascar, Libya, Morocco and Senegal make up Group B.

The draw was conducted on Saturday, 24 September 2016 at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

The finalists will qualify to represent the continent at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Bahamas in 2017.

Group A – Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire

Group B – Madagascar, Libya, Morocco, Senegal

AFCON BS 2016 : Ghana Draw Rivals Nigeria

AFCON BS 2016: Ghana To Know Group Opponent On Saturday

Ghana’s Black Sharks will know their group opponents for the 2nd edition of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria 2016, which will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

The qualified teams are host Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Madagascar, Morocco and Senegal.

The Black Sharks go into the tournament as underdogs with some of Africa’s heavyweights in a competition that will be fierce and keenly contested.

The final tournament will be held from December 13 – 18, 2016 in Lagos with the finalists qualifying to represent the continent at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Bahamas in 2017.

AFCON BS 2016: Ghana To Know Group Opponent On Saturday

AFCON BS Qualifiers : Ghana Secures Qualification After Victory

The National Beach Soccer team of Ghana, the Black Sharks, have confirmed their qualification to the 2016 Beach Soccer African Cup of Nations which would be staged in Lagos, Nigeria on the 13-18 December, 2016.

The Black Sharks beat the Harambee Sand Stars of Kenya 7-1 (17-4 aggregate) at the Laboma beach resort on Sunday in the second leg encounter to ensure their second successive qualification to the games.

 

Having won by 10-3 in the first leg far away in Kenya, the Sharks were relentless in their approach after Harambee Sand Stars took an early lead but a hat-trick from Richard Osa, Brace from Captain Micheal Sema & Alexander Adjei and a lonely goal by Aziz Kofi sealed the deal for team Ghana.

 

AFCON BS Qualifiers : Ghana Secures Qualification After Victory

AFCON BS Qualifiers: Kenya Set To Arrive Today For Clash, But...

The Harambee Sand Stars of Kenya will arrive in Accra on Wednesday morning at 11am ahead of the second leg of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with the Black Sharks of Ghana.

But issues regarding protocol and indemnities of match officials could be a major setback for Ghana if not resolved by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Beach Soccer Association.

Having being annihilated by the Black Sharks by 10 – 3 in the first leg, the Kenyans are arriving early enough to acclimatize and prepare in their quest to avenge the first leg defeat in Mombasa. Several changes have been made to the squad ahead of the decider on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the president of Beach Soccer Ghana has written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to urgently take up the protocol and indemnities of match officials to avoid any embarrassment and potential sanctions by CAF.

This development follows an email from the Ghana FA to Beach Soccer Ghana on Wednesday. The communication states categorically that “issues regarding the travel itineraries and indemnities of match officials are handled by the Sports Ministry”.

There has been no official response yet from the Youth & Sports Ministry.

The potential of a fall-out regarding match officials was heightened when the Nigerian match commissioner, Sunday Okoye, called the General Secretary of the Ghana FA to inquire about flight arrangements.

AFCON BS Qualifiers: Kenya Set To Arrive Today For Clash, But...