Sports
Beach Soccer: Nigerian Among World Top 100 Players
A beach soccer player with the Kebbi State Beach Soccer Club, Emeka Hego-Ogbonna, has been named among the top 100 players in the world by FIFA, the world football governing body, an official has disclosed.
President, African Beach Soccer Union, Mahmud-Hadejia, confirmed this on the sidelines of the ongoing second season of the Kebbi State Beach Soccer League 2021/2022 edition, holding in Birnin Kebbi, with 10 clubs vying for the trophy.
Hego-Ogbonna, also a Nigerian beach soccer international with the Super Sand Eagles, was the highest goal scorer at the 2019 Nigeria Copa Lagos International Tournament, and had won the MVP at the CAF beach soccer African Cup of nations with Nigeria in 2016.
Mahmud-Hadejia said, “Just like the regular football, there are professional beach soccer players across the world.
“My friend from Portugal, who just arrived the country, has worked with one of the Portuguese beach soccer professional players, Rabah Madjer, who was a top beach soccer player in the world. We want to have a lot of Madjers here in Kebbi too.
“Beach soccer, worldwide, under FIFA, recently announced the top 100 beach soccer players in the world and a player from Kebbi Beach Soccer Club, who played and won the National Beach Soccer League, was named among the top 100 Beach Soccer Players in the World.”
He described this as a big achievement for Kebbi, advising that sustainable efforts be made by all stakeholders, from the state government to private firms like WACOT Rice, BAM Projects and Cosgrove Investments, which had shown interest and commitment to developing the game, to produce more of such players.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
