The officiating team for Saturday’s 2026 CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON) qualifying match between Nigeria and Ghana has admitted an error in taking the encounter into extra time and a penalty shootout after regulation time ended 3-3 in Kaduna.
Key Highlights
- Referees admitted the Nigeria vs Ghana first leg should not have gone to extra time and penalties.
- Regulation time ended 3-3 at the Murtala Muhammed Square Beach Soccer Pitch, Kaduna.
- Moroccan referee Driss Lamghaidar and his assistants acknowledged the mistake on Saturday night.
- The NFF sought an explanation, calling the decision an anomaly in a two-legged tie.
- The qualification contest remains open ahead of the return leg in Keta, Ghana, on Sunday, October 18.
The Moroccan referee, Driss Lamghaidar, and his assistants acknowledged the mistake during a meeting on Saturday night, admitting that the first-leg fixture should not have proceeded to extra time and penalties, with the decisive return leg scheduled for Sunday, October 18, in Keta, Ghana.
The development means the qualification contest remains open, with both Nigeria’s Sand Eagles and Ghana’s Black Sharks set to battle for a place in the 2026 tournament during the second leg.
Nigeria’s Isa Hamza Manga scored a hat-trick in the encounter, while Mawuli Sosu netted twice for Ghana and Wise Nyamadi added the Black Sharks’ third goal.
NFF Queries Officials Over Extra Time, Penalties
Confusion reportedly surrounded the conclusion of the match at the Murtala Muhammed Square Beach Soccer Pitch in Kaduna, after the officials ordered extra time and subsequently conducted a penalty shootout, despite the fixture being the first leg of a two-match qualifying tie.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) immediately sought an explanation from the officiating team over the decision, describing the progression to extra time and penalties as an anomaly in a two-legged contest.
The referee subsequently acknowledged the error, leaving the outcome of the qualifying tie to be determined by the return fixture in Ghana.
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Among the dignitaries who watched the match were Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko; NFF acting General Secretary, Emmanuel Ikpeme; Kaduna State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Ben Kure; and NFF acting Deputy General Secretary, Ademola Olajire.
Also present were the Special Assistants to the NSC Chairman, Musa Amadu and Clement Nwankpa, as well as the NSC chairman’s personal assistant, Ahmad Muazu.
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