Nigeria made a winning start to the 2016 Caf Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Egypt 3-2 at the Eko Atlantic. A double from Emmanuel Ogbonna and captain Isiaka Olawale’s strike were all Adamu Audu’s men needed to begin their campaign on a winning note despite Mohammed Hassan and Ahmed Sayed equalizing for the north Africans.

In what proved a closely contested affair early on, the sides remained goalless until Olawale gave his side the lead with a header following goalkeeper Abdelaziz Ibrahim’s failure to make a simple catch. The second period belonged to Egypt and in particular Zayed, with the forward weighing with a leveler after Hassan had pulled one back to set up an enthralling final frame. A fine strike from Ogbonna in the closing minutes of the third quarter effectively sealed the contest late on, as Audu’s men claimed early momentum. Nigeria face Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday, while Ghana try Egypt for size.