From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Federation Internationale De Football Association ( FIFA) in charge of Beach Soccer has disclosed that the female Beach Soccer League would soon debut in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
FIFA Instructor on Beach Soccer in Nigeria, Mr. Sunday Okayi revealed this in Birnin Kebbi while briefing newsmen.
He said : The female folks are right now not involved in the beach soccer in Africa because the male part are just taking off and gradually taking good shape. The problem with development with Africa has always been we catch up later with other continents. When other are ten years away, we are just catching up. Other continents have started ten years ago, we are just catching up.
“ Off course, because we are blessed with abundant talents,we always caught up with them. Nigeria,Senega, Cameroun,started male beach soccer in 2006, it was only Nigeria and Cameroun that have been consistence.
“ As at 2011,Nigeria was the 6th best in the whole world. And we maintained that position till 2016. So, a female beach soccer clubs and competitions would surely come on board son, because, Africa have started playing female beach soccer”.
Okayi explained further that beach soccer were playing in desert areas instead of riverines areas because the game required beach sand not necessarily must be beside the ocean.
“ This soccer can be play in anywhere,whether there is water of not. The most important thing is to have the quality and quantity of sands. That is in most important and that is why Kebbi state becomes number one. Switzerland is the number one country in the world in beach soccer, they are not famous in football, only in beach soccer. They are among the best five countries in the world in beach soccer consistently in the last 15 years.
“They don’t have a single river, what they have is man made lake and they are the power of beach soccer in the world”, he said.
He commended players of Beach soccer clubs in Nigeria for representing the Country very well across the world, stressed that, the future of the game in Nigeria is very brighter.
Okayi noted that in the past five years, Nigeria has produced five best players in Africa who are representing the nation very well at different clubs across the world.
In his remarks, the President of Africa Beach Soccer Association and Coordinator of Nigeria Beach Soccer League, Mahmud Hadeija,while speaking on the super 4 league finale draw,disclosed that KADA BSC vs Badagry BSC and Kebbi Fishers BSC vs SmartCity BSC matches would be played on first day onn Friday October 7.
He said other matches will be played on Saturday and final match will be on Sunday October 9, where prices will be given to winners of the tournament.
