Nigeria is playing in Group B at the global FIFA Beach World Cup, which is taking place in the Bahamas. The Super Sand Eagles are challenging Iran, Italy and Mexico for a place in the knockout stages.

Super Sand Eagles star, Isiaka Olawale in action for Nigeria.

“All the teams in our group are very, very good teams,” Isiaka Olawale said. “However, and I say that with utmost respect to our opponents, we don’t have to overestimate anybody. “We will take each match as it comes. But we will try our very best. We have to be at our best if we want to make it through to the next round. We have faced some of the teams before and we know that any team that has qualified for the World Cup deserves to be there.”

Bahamas 2017 is the fourth time that Olawale is competing in the showpiece event of beach soccer, having been in the Nigerian team at the 2007 finals in Brazil, the 2009 edition in the United Arab Emirates and the last time the Super Sand Eagles made it through in 2011, when Italy hosted the tournament.

Like many other beach soccer players, Olawale started out in the traditional game, but unlike many others, he still competes at the highest level, turning out for El Kanemi Warriors in the Nigerian top flight.

“When I was playing for WA Tlemcen in Algeria, we would often train on the beach and I realised I was good at it,” he said. “When I returned to Nigeria in 2006, I was asked to join the national beach soccer team and it was an opportunity I was not going to miss, even though my heart is with 11-a-side game.”