Africa: Teams Facts - Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations Mozambique 2022

16 October 2022
Confederation of African Football (Giza)

MOZAMBIQUE

Nickname: Os Mambas

Records: 2021 AFCON runners-up

2022: Qualified as hosts

Mozambique finished as runners-up in Senegal for their first appearance in the finals, and they will be hoping to improve on this at home.

Mozambique topped their pool with a full haul of three wins in 2021, and then beat Uganda 6-3 in the semifinals. They lost 4-1 to Senegal in the final, but still did enough to book their place at the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, where they exited at the first stage.

Playing at home in front of their crowd will that be an advantage for the team that impressed with their techniques and their quality players like Nelson Manuel?

UGANDA

Nickname: Sand Cranes

Records: Semi-finalists in 2021

2022 Qualifiers: Edged out Comoros with wins of 5-2 (first leg) and 4-3 (second leg), aggregate 9-5.

Currently ranked 5th in Africa and 36 in the World as per Beach Soccer Worldwide, Uganda began to put more focus on beach soccer in 2019 and so their improvement in the last three years - not helped by COVID-19 - has been rapid.

Qualified for their first Beach Soccer Africa Nations Cup in Senegal last year, they managed to qualify for the final four. As they repeated the feat to qualify for the 2022 finals in Mozambique, Sand cranes will be eager to win a medal.

MADAGASCAR

Nickname: Barea

Records: Winners of the Beach Soccer AFCON in 2015, 5th in 2016 and 2018

Qualifiers 2022: Madagascar beat Seychelles 5-2 (first leg) and 6-2 (second leg), making an aggregate of 11-4.

In 2015, Madagascar performed the feat of wining Senegal during the Beach Soccer AFCON held at the Roche Caiman Sports Complex, Seychelles in the penalty lottery (2-1), after the 1-1 draw in the regulation period. Since then,

To qualify for the Vilankulo event, Madagascar beat Seychelles hosts of 2015 Beach Soccer AFCON.

SENEGAL

Nickname: Teranga Lions

Records: Winners of three successive Beach Soccer AFCONs (2016, 2018 and 2021). They hosted and won the last Beach Soccer AFCON in Saly Portudal seaside resort.

2022 Qualifiers: beat Cameroon with double wins of 9-1 and 7-3, and 16-4.

After the spectacular fall in 2015, the Lions of Teranga proved that it was a mere accident on the way. The Senegalese claimed the title the following year (2016) having won their first official Beach Soccer AFCON title at the expense of Nigeria, after winning 8-4.

For the last title won in 2021 at home, they beat debutants Mozambique by 4-1 and qualified at the same time for the World Cup in Russia.

Player Raoul Mendy has been outstanding in the last tournament and made quite an impression at the World Cup in Russia.

MALAWI

Nickname: Flames

Records: This will be their first appearance in Beach Soccer AFCON finals.

2022 Qualifiers: The Malawians won 3-2 at home and lost 6-5 away to Tanzania

It will be the first time in their history that Malawi compete in the Beach Soccer AFCON. To qualify for the Vilankulo event, the Malawians won 3-2 at home and lost 6-5 away to Tanzania. However, their expectations are high for their first appearance in the continental tournament. Can they make a surprise?

MOROCCO

Nickname: Atlas Lions

Records: Finished third in Senegal, qualified for their 5th successive Beach Soccer AFCON

2022 Qualifiers: Won

Morocco has invested heavily in this sport and will be trying to deliver first title. They are one of the more seasoned teams in the competition, having made appearances since the tournament's inception in 2015 and finishing third in 2021. Morocco's opponents in Group A will be hosts Mozambique, and Malawi.

EGYPT

Nickname: Pharaohs

Records: Bronze medalists in 2016 and 2018,

2022 Qualifiers: They defeated Ghana to qualify by a single goal

Egypt left Ghana behind by a one-goal difference, 12-11, in the two-legged aggregate. In the first leg, Ghana won 6-5, one goal difference, and in the second leg, it was Egypt to win by two goals difference, 7-5, and secure qualification.

Hosts of the 2018 Beach Soccer AFCON, Pharaohs are regular at the highest level of the game.

Read the original article on CAF.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2022 Confederation of African Football. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.