Football Federation Body of Nigeria; the Nigeria Football Federation is looking to start a beach soccer league from next year to further promote game amongst Nigerian footballers so as to properly development the game and its potential players for future competitions.
This was revealed by the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF); Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, after Sunday’s successful title defence of the Super sand Eagles as they beat Portugal 8-7 at the Copa Lagos Beach Soccer Worldwide.
Nigeria’s beach soccer players have always been drawn from 11-a-side football and they have featured in FIFA, CAF and invitational tournaments.
Nigeria’s Super sand Eagles have won the CAF Beach Soccer Championship twice in 2007 and 2009, and have reached the last eight of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup twice in 2007 and 2011 and these has been achieved with the absence of a beach soccer league.
Ikpeme said that plans are on-going to kick-start the beach soccer league for 2013.
Ikpeme who couldn’t hide his excitement yesterday added that the league will probably kick-off in the third or second quarter of 2013.
“I’m happy with the performance of the team. There are plans by the football federation to start a beach soccer league. It has been in the plan for some time but the logistics are being tied up.
“But I cannot assure you that the league will start early next year, I mean in the first quarter of next year. However, the beach soccer league should commence at the earliest in the second or third quarter of next year,” he concluded.
