Come December the 16th we know that four things will certainly happen. One - the equatorial sun will roast Lagos from above. Two- that the breeze off the Atlantic will be refreshing and have a balm like quality. Three - that the sand on the beach would have been raked to a powdered smoothness. Finally four – that the beach soccer teams from host Nigeria, the RSA, England and Brazil will be locked in arguably one of the more attractive competitions to grace the city since the 2000 Afcon.

"Reis da Praia" aka Kings of the beach arrive as arguably the favourites and who could quarrel with the pundits call here? After all it was on the beaches of Brazil that the sport of beach football first played part time, took a life of its own and has now become a game relished as far as the Russian arctic where the current World Cup now rests. With their uncanny ability to dribble and actually dance with the ball the Brazilian National team just does not entertain but they actually win as well. World Champions in 2006,2007,2008,2009 and 2010 they will captivate the Nigerian fans themselves eager to put the disaster that has been 2011 behind them.

Speaking to locals at both the Bar and Lekki beaches in Lagos,reprters were repeatedly reminded by the fans here in West Africa’s largest city, that they will reward only spectacular play with their loyalty and backing regardless if it is even at their own country's expense. Just as with their Mens Football team the side from Copa Cabana is loaded with stars but one can expect the bulk of the damage to be done by the "three bees" namely Benjamin , Buru and Bruno.

The “Beach Bafana Bafana" also have a rich tradition . For instance South Africa has been the hosting nation of all CAF FIFA Beach Soccer Qualifiers until 2011. In addition to this they were the first African team to participate in a Beach Soccer Worldwide official international tournament Championship in 1999 in Rio de Janeiro. Their key player will be forward Deutchman on whom they are banking to male life miserable for the other three teams.

Meanwhile relative new comer England will take to the sand under the keen gaze of new Coach Terry Bowes. The three Lion team clearly is an improvement to everything they have done before and is a reflection of how the game has taken off in the UK where just under 50,000 players play weekly. Their key player will be defender Terry Bowles who will hopefully not just take the brunt of the opponents attack, but help build the Lions counter from the back.

Enter the Nigerian “Sand Eagles”. Aiming to establish themselves as the dominant force in African beach soccer there is no doubt that in addition to the Ivory Coast they have certainly stolen much of South Africa's previous glory. They play a fast attacking style of football and bombard the opponents goal with a barrage of hammer like shots throughout the game. If they have a flaw it is the ability to contain the counter. However playing at home in front of their rabid fans may just be the shot of insulin this team needs to finally perform like the champion she is expected to be. In any event the team will depend heavily on forwards Isiaka Olawale and Victor Tale to convert her goals and finally give Nigerian fans something to cheer about.

For full details of the matches this weekend, hit the event page.











culled from www.supersport.com