Nigeria and Ghana penalties cancelled after beach soccer qualifying error

Nigeria and Ghana will replay the conclusion of their Africa Cup of Nations beach soccer qualifying tie on Sunday after an officiating error led to extra time and penalties being played in a first-leg match that should have ended in a draw.

The two West African neighbours drew 3-3 in Kaduna on Saturday in the first meeting of the second-round tie. However, the match continued beyond normal time before Ghana won a penalty shootout 5-4.

That result was later cancelled after the officials acknowledged that the shootout should not have taken place. The official score remains 3-3, leaving the qualifying tie completely open ahead of the return match.

Isa Hamza Manga scored all three of Nigeria’s goals, while Mawuli Sosu’s double and a goal from Wise Nyamadi put Ghana level.

The fixture was the opening leg of a two-match contest, rather than a knockout game in which a winner had to be determined on the day. The qualifying format had been established by the draw for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations beach soccer tournament, which will be held in Senegal.

Despite that, Moroccan referee Driss Lamghaidar and his assistants instructed the teams to play extra time and then take penalties. Ghana won the shootout 5-4 and initially believed the result had given them an advantage in the tie.

Officials present at the match quickly questioned the decision. Neither side should have been declared the winner before the second leg, and the Nigeria Football Federation sought an explanation from the match officials.

At a meeting held later that evening, Lamghaidar and his team admitted their mistake. The extra time and penalty shootout were removed from the record, ensuring that the match result was restored to 3-3.

The return fixture will be played on Sunday, 18 October, at the Keta Emancipation Beach Soccer Arena. The winner of the two-leg tie will qualify for the final tournament in Senegal.

Nigeria will be seeking a return to the competition after a difficult period in beach soccer. The Super Sand Eagles missed the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations after being eliminated by Mauritania, despite winning the first leg away from home.

The Kaduna incident was corrected before the shootout could affect the official outcome, but the basic confusion over the regulations could have led to a more serious dispute had the result been allowed to stand.

Nigeria and Ghana will therefore meet again with the same starting position as before: a 3-3 draw from the first leg. This time, the winner of the overall tie will be decided by the two matches, rather than an incorrectly applied shootout.