Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles battled valiantly but lost at the death as Mauritania secured a 6-5 victory to edge out Nigeria on the away goal rule and qualify for this year’s Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations.
The passion, endeavour and energy of the two-time African champions at the Beach Soccer Arena, Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna were undone by a questionable last-minute penalty kick awarded the visitors by Mozambican referee Dique Salvador Muxanga, which was converted to make it 6-5, with aggregate standing at 10-10 in the end. The Mauritanians snatched the ticket to the final tournament in Egypt on the strength of having scored one more goal on away ground.
Trailing 4-5 from the first leg played in their Nouakchott a week ago, Mauritania scored after only three minutes, but Taiwo Adams, one of Nigeria’s scorers in the first leg, equalized shortly afterwards. Mauritania hit the crossbar and assailed the Nigeria goal-area severally, but goalkeeper Godwin Tale thwarted them on most occasions.
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The visitors shot to the lead early in the second period. Hassan Abdullahi, voted most valuable player of the recently-concluded Nigeria Beach Soccer League, equalized from a direct kick. Then the visitors raced to a two-goal lead from direct kicks before the end of the second period.
In the third period, Nigeria quickly cut the deficit with Adams again the scorer. Mauritania retained their two-goal lead from the penalty spot soon after, but Nigeria scored two goals in the explosive closing stages, and looked like heading to Egypt at 5-5, before the questionable penalty gifted the Mauritanians with only 60 seconds.
Mauritania will now join hosts Egypt, Morocco and Tanzania, and the four others to emerge from qualification matches this weekend, in the 8-Nation finals in December.
