Nigeria’s Super Sand Eagles, successfully defended the Copa Lagos Beach soccer championship title it won in 2012 by defeating African champions, Senegal, 4-2 at the beach front of the Eko Atlantic City on Sunday.
The match started with tributes being paid to the late former South African president, Nelson Mandela, whose remains was laid to rest earlier before kick-off.
Buoyed by the presence of a large turnout crowd and celebrities, the Nigerians started the encounter with determination despite earlier threatening to boycott the finale due to unpaid allowances, which was later resolved after hours of talks.
They dominated play in the early moments and scored their first after ten minutes. Badmus Babatunde fired home from close range.
Debutantes, Senegal, were unrelenting in their efforts. They failed to score from some glaring opportunities in the second quarter before Koupkapi equalised from a free-kick. Both teams went into the break with scores leveled at a goal apiece.
The Eagles stepped more on the gas pedal in the final period of the game with Abu Azeez, Victor Tale and Emeka Ogbonna getting on the scorers’ sheet to take the game beyond their opponents.
Fall pulled one back for Senegal late on, but it was just good for consolation as Nigeria clinched a third successive championship title at the Copa Lagos tournament.
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