The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2013 ? Africa Qualifier will travel to the Moroccan seaside city, putting two slots at stake
One of the last stages in the race to the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2013 has been finally announced. The Qualifier round for the CAF area will finally take place in El Jadida (Morocco), between May 22nd and 26th.
This beautiful seaside resort, which successfully hosted a Beach Soccer Worldwide Tour event last summer, gets ready to make one step beyond in its relationship with the sport. Taking the baton of Casablanca, where the last FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup ? Africa Qualifier was held, El Jadida will pass sentence on the two African sides that will join the pack in Papeete.
With the final number of the teams and the competition format yet to be confirmed, a new episode of the traditional fierce fight between the African powerhouses can be taken for granted, with teams such as defending champions Senegal, Nigeria or Côte d?Ivoire earmarked once again as the favourites to clinch the tickets.
But, with the experience of these last years, none of the Northern African teams can be discarded beforehand. Ruling out the options of hosts Morocco or Egypt, who offered an amusing resistance in the last edition, is a huge mistake. After the great impressions they offered in Casablanca, the Mediterranean sides from the Black Continent have much to say, and they will be on hand again trying to upset their opponents from Central African.
After the Qualifying rounds in Europe, Asia and CONMEBOL saw Spain, Russia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Iran, Japan, UAE, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil earning their berth in the Polynesian festival, CONCACAF teams come next, with the Qualifier in Bahamas (8th-12th May) unveiling two more tickets to the World Cup. Immediately afterwards, Africa will nominate their representatives in Papeete, with the OFC Qualifier, yet to be announced, rounding the group for sixteen and pointing who will accompany Tahiti in Oceania.