Mauritania has made history by qualifying for their first-ever CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2024, set to take place in Egypt later this year.
The Mauritanians sealed their place in dramatic fashion on Sunday, eliminating two-time champions Nigeria on away goals after a thrilling 6-5 victory in the second leg of their qualifier.
The result marks a significant shift in the landscape of African beach soccer, with Nigeria now missing out on their third consecutive tournament.
The Super Sand Eagles, who won the competition in 2007 and 2009, had seemed on course for qualification after a 5-4 away win in the first leg.
However, Mauritania’s resilience and determination saw them overturn the deficit in a match that will long be remembered in the annals of their footballing history.
While Mauritania’s qualification has stolen the headlines, defending champions Senegal once again demonstrated their dominance in the discipline.
The Lions of Teranga, seeking their eighth continental title, cruised past Guinea with a comfortable 5-1 victory in the second leg, following a 9-3 win in the first encounter. The cumulative 14-4 scoreline underlines Senegal’s status as one of the favorites heading into the tournament.
In other qualifying matches, Ghana secured their return to the competition after a two-edition absence by defeating Côte d’Ivoire 5-2 in Abidjan, securing a 10-5 aggregate win. The Black Sharks’ comeback was particularly impressive, having trailed 2-1 at the end of the first period before dominating the latter stages of the match.
Malawi edged out Burundi in a high-scoring tie that ended 15-14 on aggregate, while Mozambique comfortably dispatched Seychelles with a 9-4 aggregate victory. Morocco benefited from Angola’s withdrawal to qualify automatically, as did Tanzania following Uganda’s forfeit after the former won the first leg 6-1.
As the continent’s attention turns to Egypt for the upcoming championship, all eyes will be on Mauritania to see if they can continue their fairy-tale run on the beach, while Senegal will be looking to extend their impressive record in the competition.
List of countries qualified for the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations
Egypt (host country)
Ghana
Morocco
Mauritania
Malawi
Mozambique
Senegal
Tanzania
