The CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Egypt 2024 is set to kick off on Saturday, with eight teams competing for the coveted title in Hurghada, Egypt. This sixth edition of the tournament, which runs from October 19 to 26, promises thrilling action as the continent’s best beach soccer teams battle for supremacy and a chance to qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Here are key facts about the teams competing in this year’s tournament.
General Overview Since its inception in 2015, the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON has grown into one of the most prestigious beach soccer competitions on the continent. The first edition was held in Roche Caiman, Seychelles, where Madagascar claimed the inaugural title. Senegal, the reigning champions, have dominated the tournament, winning four out of five editions.
This year’s tournament returns to Egyptian soil for the second time, following the 2018 edition, which was also held in Egypt and won by Senegal. The winners and runners-up of this year’s competition will join Seychelles as Africa’s representatives at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025, which will be held in Africa for the first time.
Team-by-Team Breakdown
Egypt
The host nation, Egypt, is no stranger to the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON. This will be their second time hosting the event, following the 2018 edition where they finished third. Egypt will be looking to improve on their runners-up finish from the last edition in Mozambique. The Egyptians represented Africa at the last FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup alongside Senegal, and they will be eager to use home advantage to go all the way this year.
Ghana
Ghana returns to the tournament after a long absence, having last appeared in 2016. Despite participating in two previous editions, the Black Stars have yet to advance beyond the group stages. This year, they qualified by defeating Côte d’Ivoire 10-5 on aggregate and will be determined to make a lasting impact by reaching the knockout stages for the first time.
Malawi
Malawi made their debut in the 2022 edition of the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON, where they finished third in their group. This year marks their second appearance, and they will be looking to build on that experience to advance to the knockout rounds. Malawi secured their place in Egypt after a hard-fought 15-14 aggregate win over Burundi, including a thrilling 8-8 draw in the final leg.
Morocco
One of the most consistent teams in the competition, Morocco will be participating in their sixth consecutive CAF Beach Soccer AFCON. The North Africans have twice finished as semi-finalists (2015, 2016) and have won bronze in the last two editions (2021, 2022). Morocco is aiming to break into the final for the first time and improve on their previous fourth-place finishes in 2016 and 2018.
Mauritania
Mauritania is making their debut in the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON after an impressive qualification campaign that saw them edge out two-time champions Nigeria 6-5 on aggregate. Coached by former national team captain Moussa Baghayogho, who led the team in their first CHAN appearance in 2016, Mauritania will be looking to make a strong first impression on the continental stage.
Mozambique
Mozambique, the hosts of the last CAF Beach Soccer AFCON, finished fourth in 2022 after narrowly losing to Morocco in the bronze-medal match. Their best finish came in 2021 when they were runners-up behind Senegal. As the only COSAFA nation to achieve a podium finish, Mozambique will be hoping to replicate their 2021 success and challenge for the title once again.
Senegal
The undisputed kings of African beach soccer, Senegal, enter the tournament as the overwhelming favorites. The reigning champions have won the tournament a record four times, including the last four consecutive editions (2016, 2018, 2021, 2022). Led by their talismanic captain Al Seyni Ndiaye, who has been a key figure in all their AFCON triumphs, Senegal will be looking to extend their dominance and secure a fifth title.
Tanzania
Tanzania is making their third appearance at the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON, having first participated in the 2018 edition, also held in Egypt. While they finished bottom of their group in 2018, they showed improvement in 2021 by finishing third in Group A. This year, Tanzania will be hoping to make further strides by reaching the knockout stages for the first time.
As the tournament kicks off, all eyes will be on Hurghada, where these eight teams will battle not only for the title but also for a place in the prestigious FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025. With a mix of experienced teams and debutants, the CAF Beach Soccer AFCON Egypt 2024 promises to be a thrilling showcase of beach soccer talent.
The eight participating teams have been drawn into two groups:
Group A: Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania, Ghana
Group B: Senegal, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritania
