Nigeria and Ghana beach soccer tie remains level after referee error

The first leg of the 2026 CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tie between Nigeria and Ghana ended in a 3-3 draw in Kaduna. Moroccan referee Driss Lamghaidar and his officiating team admitted to a procedural error after mistakenly ordering extra time and a penalty shootout following regulation time.

Because the fixture is a two-legged qualifying tie, the match should have concluded after the initial 3-3 result. The error caused confusion among spectators and officials, prompting the Nigeria Football Federation to seek clarification. The admission confirms that the aggregate score remains tied at 3-3, with no impact from the erroneous shootout on the qualification standings.

Nigeria's Isa Hamza Manga scored a hat-trick, while Ghana's Mawuli Sosu scored twice and Wise Nyamadi added an equalizer. The decisive second leg is scheduled to take place in Keta, Ghana, on October 18, to determine which team progresses to the tournament in Senegal.