Teams qualify for Beach Soccer AFCON

The nations vying for the African title, as well as places at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023, have been decided.

Egypt, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique (hosts), Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda will compete in the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations 2022 in Mozambique.

In the second matches of two-leg ties, Africa’s top teams met again between 5-7 August to decide who qualified.

Six-time winners and defending champions Senegal handed a second heavy defeat to Cameroon to cruise into the final stage, netting seven in the second leg. They celebrated their tenth qualification to the competition, and the Lions of Teranga will be many people’s favourites in the Beach Soccer AFCON, which will take place between the 21 and 30 October 2022.

Ivory Coast went up against last year’s third-place finishers Morocco, and after the match was abandoned, the Atlas Lions and the Elephants now await a decision from CAF on who claims the place at the continental championships. Morocco will return to action this weekend at the Casablanca Beach Soccer Cup, where they will host Saudi Arabia, UAE and North African rivals Egypt.

The Pharaohs had a close encounter against one of Africa’s most rapidly-growing beach soccer nations, the Black Sharks of Ghana. Ghana had won the first leg 6-5, but Egypt turned the tie around, snatching their place at the AFCON by seven goals to five. It will be the 11th time that Egypt have appeared in an African Cup of Nations, more than any other participating nation.

Malawi just managed to beat Tanzania to the qualifying place by the tightest of margins. It will the first time in their history that Malawi compete in the Beach Soccer AFCON. Despite losing in the second leg by six goals to five, they had done enough in the first to take the tie on away goals.

Last year’s semi-finalists Uganda comfortably made the cut in their head to head against Comoros, taking the two matches with an aggregate score of 9-5 to reach only their second edition of Africa’s biggest beach soccer championship.

One of only four nations to have won the African crown, Madagascar, defeated Seychelles with an aggregate score of 11-4 to make their sixth edition. They won the 2015 continental championship, and will be keen to try and relive that glory in October.

Nigeria had already qualified alongside hosts Mozambique following Libya’s withdrew from the tie.

The Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations 2022 in Mozambique will act as the African qualifier to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2023.

RESULTS

Senegal 7-3 Cameroon (agg. 16-4))
Ivory Coast – Morocco (match abandoned – decision from CAF pending)
Egypt 7-5 Ghana (agg. 12-11)
Tanzania 6-5 Malawi (agg. 8-8 – Malawi win on away goals)
Uganda 4-3 Comoros (agg. 9-5)
Madagascar 6-2 Seychelles (agg. 11-4)