Beach soccer national team, Super Sand Eagles caoch, Audu Adamu (Ejo) has picked 11 players for this year’s continental championship in Egypt, with only skipper of the side, Victor Tale and Abu Azeez the veterans still in the squad, footballlive.ng reports.
Alongside former Golden Eaglets goalkeeper, Dami Paul Danjuma, Tale and Azeez will be expected to lend depths of experience to Adamu’s team, as they confront Senegal in their opening match of the African Beach Soccer Cup of Nations this Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.
Other veterans, like like Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, Isiaka Olawale and few others who had etched their names in gold playing for the Beach Soccer team are absent from the list to Egypt 2018.
‘Ejo,’ though, expressed confidence in the ability of his players to rise up to the occasion in Cairo, where he says their target is to return with the trophy.
While acknowledging that they also have their eyes on picking a ticket to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, ‘Ejo’ added that they will try to start the contest on a good note.
The 11 players include Tale (Kogi United), Azeez (unattached), Dami Paul Danjuma (Katsina United), Emeka Ogbonna (Lead United, Lagos), and Suleiman Mohammed (Nasarawa United).
Also in the list are Emmanuel Ojukwu Titus (Iganmu FC, Lagos), Idanosi Fayowale (Lead United) as well as Emmanuel Owofere, Tayo Adams, Karimu Ahmed Oladele (all from Owobesi FC of Lagos) and Eric Dufegha (Katsina United).
Adamu said he had to go with 11 players after one of those he had already listed for the competition, Joshua Enaholo, sustained an injury after his name was sent to Confederation of African Football (CAF).
He added: “We know that it is only Senegal that can prove to be our stumbling block because they are the defending champions.
“We shall try our best to start the competition on a good note against them.”
