Moroccan referee Driss Lamghaidar and his officiating team have admitted an error after allowing extra time and a penalty shootout in Saturday’s 2026 CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Ghana in Kaduna.
The first-leg tie had finished 3-3 after regulation time, but the officials instructed the teams to play extra time before proceeding to penalties.
That decision caused confusion among dignitaries and spectators at the venue, with the format of the qualifying tie requiring the teams to play a second leg before the outcome is decided.
At a meeting on Saturday night, Lamghaidar acknowledged the mistake and confirmed that the match should have ended as a draw.
The return fixture is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, in Keta, Ghana. The clarification means the two-legged tie remains level, with qualification still to be settled in the second match.
Isa Hamza Manga scored a hat-trick for Nigeria, while Ghana’s Black Sharks found the net through Mawuli Sosu, who scored twice, and Wise Nyamadi.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had immediately requested an explanation from the match officials after they allowed the game to continue beyond regulation time.
The federation questioned the decision because only the first leg of the two-match qualifying tie had been played. Extra time and penalties should not have been used at that stage, as the aggregate score can only be determined after the return fixture in Ghana.
The officials’ admission confirms that the result from the match in Kaduna is officially recorded as a 3-3 draw, rather than being settled by the additional periods and shootout that followed.