CBN Beach Soccer Challenge cup holds in September

The second edition of the CBN Beach Soccer Challenge Cup will hold from September 6 to 8 in Abuja, a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Media Officer, Ademola Olajire has said.

According to the statement, eight beach soccer clubs will participate while Nigeria’s Beach Soccer National team, Super Sand Eagles will make a star appearance.

The inaugural edition of the challenge cup held in November 2012 with only four clubs.

The CBN challenge cup is one of the promotional and developmental events lined up ahead of the eventual kick-off of the Nigeria Beach Soccer League in 2014. This edition will take place at a purpose-built Beach Soccer Pitch in Zone 5, Abuja.

The statement added that in the pursuit of the formation of a Beach soccer league in the country, companies have expressed their support for the project co-ordinated by NFF and a company, Sports Solutions Ltd.

Taye Olajide, Sports Solutions’ Head of Event, was quoted in the statement, as saying that beach soccer was a global brand for maximum commercial visibility, combining soccer with music and outdoor entertainment.

“This is an irresistible cocktail and we are confident that more brands will seek to be part of the Beach Soccer League. Presently, top brands such as Gategold (a premier sports fitness equipment dealer), Prixair Hotels and Suites and Dewluk have thrown their weight behind the efforts to kick-start a League for beach soccer.

“We are also in discussions with Globacom, Guinness Nigeria PLC, DSTV Multi-Choice and radio stations like Cool, Wazobia, Info FM to come on board and share the brand value of beach soccer. This is because beach soccer is the hottest adaptation of the world’s most popular sport, played on soft sand,’’ Olajide said.

Nigeria has shown immense potential in the game of beach soccer, with the Super sand Eagles having played in several African Championships and FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup finals since 2006.

The Supersand Eagles have won the African Beach Soccer Championship on two occasions and in 2011, reached the quarter-finals of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy.