By Aderonke Ojo
The National Coordinator of the Nigeria Beach Soccer League (NBSL), Mahmud Hadejia, says plans are underway to introduce regional and continental competitions to expand beach soccer across Africa.
Hadejia made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the initiative, being driven by the African Beach Soccer Union (ABSU), would begin with regional tournaments before progressing to a continental championship.
“We will start with regional competitions before moving to the continental level, where champions from countries like Nigeria and Ghana will compete,” he said.
According to him, the long-term objective is to establish a continental beach soccer championship that will provide opportunities for players, teams, sponsors and fans across Africa.
Hadejia, who also serves as President of ABSU, said preparations are in full swing for the 2026 season of the NBSL.
He said that grassroots competitions recently held in Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, and Anambra had continued to strengthen the development of beach soccer in Nigeria.
“We have been having local competitions in Kebbi, Akwa Ibom and recently in Anambra. This is encouraging because we are now seeing more grassroots competitions coming up,” he said.
He said the 2026 NBSL season would begin in Kebbi from March 19 to March 22.
According to him, the second round will be held in Kaduna from April 10 to April 12, before the league goes on a short break.
“The break would allow the Nigeria national beach soccer team, popularly known as the Super Sand Eagles, to camp ahead of an invitational tournament in Ghana.
“The league will later resume towards May 31 in Abuja where the season will be concluded,” he said.
Hadejia said the league plays a critical role in keeping players match-fit ahead of international competitions, including qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
“For us at the NBSL, the key thing is to ensure that the league remains competitive so that players are actively playing beach soccer through their clubs,” he said.
Hadejia said that several teams had remained consistent in the league, including sides from Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Akwa Ibom and the defending champions, Anambra.
He disclosed that a new team, BAM Projects from Kebbi, would make its debut this season after emerging from the local league.
“This is the sixth season of the league, and we are seeing new players coming on board. Beach soccer players across the country are now being actively engaged,” he said.
On the involvement of former professional footballers, Hadejia said the league created platforms for ex-players to contribute to the development of the sport.
He cited the example of Abdullahi Issa, a former goalkeeper, who previously served as NBSL Technical Director before becoming coach of the Super Sand Eagles.
He also mentioned Emeka Ogbonna, who is currently involved with the Anambra team.
“We are encouraging former players to come on board and share their experience with younger talents,” he said.
Hadejia commended sponsors supporting the league, particularly WACOT Rice from Kebbi, for its consistent support.
According to him, the NBSL continues to provide visibility and engagement opportunities for corporate partners.
He added that efforts were also being made to introduce beach soccer into schools and universities across the country.
Hadejia said officials of ABSU recently visited Federal University Lokoja to discuss the development of beach soccer on campus.
The delegation was led by Sunday Okayi, a former Deputy Director at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He added that beach soccer would be introduced at the games organised by the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA), later this year, following a successful demonstration event in the previous edition.
The president assured that the league would continue to offer competitive prizes for participating teams, while calling on more sponsors and partners to support the growth of beach soccer in Nigeria.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
