Isa Hamza Manga's hat-trick wasn't enough as Ghana's Black Sharks snatched a 3-3 draw in Nigeria and set up a decisive Keta showdown.
The West African beach soccer rivalry just got hotter. Ghana's Black Sharks went to Kaduna and came away with a 3-3 draw against Nigeria in the first leg of their 2026 CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, leaving the tie perfectly balanced.
Nigeria's Isa Hamza Manga looked like the man to break Ghanaian hearts at the Murtala Mohammed square. The forward scored all three of the hosts' goals for a hat-trick, and his display was a statement of intent from the home side.
But the Black Sharks refused to go under. Mawuli Sosu found the net twice, and Wise Nyamadi added the third to drag Ghana level and earn a result that could prove priceless. Coming back from a hat-trick performance on the road takes real resilience.
Now everything comes down to the return leg in Keta on Sunday, October 18. With the aggregate level, Ghana will hope to use home sand and home support to finish the job. The prize is a place at the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal, and both nations know one more big performance could send them there.
