Copa Lagos: Olawale out, Ibenegbu captain

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Coach of the Nigeria Beach Soccer team, Audu Adamu, has named Warri Wolves midfielder, Bartholomew Ibenegbu, as the new captain of the team after he dropped former captain, Isiaka Olawale, from the list of invited players for the 2015 Copa Lagos Beach Soccer Tournament.

The coach on Wednesday named 20 players for the competition, which will hold in Lagos between December 18 and 20, and excluded the Dolphins midfielder, who had captained the Super Sand Eagles since 2006.

Adamu, who is popularly called Ejo, invited regulars, Ibenegbu, Warri Wolves Abu Azeez, Victor Tale of Confluence FC, Emeka Ogbonna of Leeds United and goalkeeper Olalekan Oladepo of Owibeseb. He however left out Ogbonnaya Okemmiri, who along with Olawale had become household names in the team.

The Sand Eagles, who won the first two editions of the tournament, lost the title to Senegal in 2014 and would seek to reclaim it as the Senegalese have been listed as participants in the tournament.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation, the players are would begin camping in Badagry on November 29.

Meanwhile, Sand Eagles player, Azeez, told our correspondent that the team would ensure they represent the country well at the tournament.

“Copa Lagos is a competition we usually look forward to and it is still fresh in our memories that we did not win it last year. Now that the league season is over, we can focus on preparing and working towards reclaiming the trophy,” he said.

Source: Punch