Nigeria lists Olawale, Okemiri, 10 others for African Beach Soccer Tourney

Veterans Isiaka Olawale, Abdul Isa, Ogbonnaya Okemiri, Bartholomew Ibenegbu and John Gaadi are among the list of 12 players that the Nigeria Football Federation submitted to FIFA on Tuesday for this month’s African Beach Soccer Championship in Casablanca, Morocco.

The list is made up of two goalkeepers, five defenders and five strikers.

Abdul Isa and John Gaadi have been to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup finals in Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, while Okemiri, Olawale and Ibenegbu are regular faces in continental and global tournaments. Victor Tale is also relatively experienced.

There are also Maijama’a Shehu, Nelson Onyekachi, Zabi Emmanuel, Babatunde Ariyo, Musa Najere and Azeez Abu.

This year’s African Beach Soccer Championship will take place in Casablanca from 15th – 19th June, with the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup set for Italy in September.

The Nigeria team, coached by Adamu Audu and captained by Isiaka Olawale, will depart Lagos for Casablanca aboard a Royal Air Maroc airline flight on Saturday.

Nigeria won the African Beach Soccer Championship in 2007 and 2009, and played in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Brazil in 2006 and 2007, and in the UAE in 2009.

The players are, John Gaadi, Abdul Isa, Maijama’a Shehu, Ogbonnaya Okemiri, Bartholomew Ibenegbu, Isiaka Olawale, Victor Tale, Nelson Onyekachi, Zabi Emmanuel, Babatunde Ariyo, Musa Najere, Azeez Abu.