The final four sides have been confirmed for African qualification after weekend wins.
Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Madagascar booked themselves African qualification spots ahead of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2017 after progressing through their second-leg ties at the weekend.
All four sides amassed healthy advantages in the opening legs of their qualifiers in August and successfully avoided slip-ups to move a step closer to the competition in the Bahamas.
Continental champions Madagascar will get the chance to defend their title at this year’s CAF African Beach Soccer Championships in Lagos as they added to their 3-2 lead to progress past Mozambique.
With 39 places separating the sides in the rankings, Madagascar showed their class to record a 6-2 win in Mahajanga while Senegal, who also featured at the World Cup in Espinho last year, also progressed.
Senegal coach Ngalla Slla saw his side add to their five-goal lead from the first leg with a similarly convincing 5-2 win on home soil – Mohamed Francois Diouf registering a hat-trick to ensure their ticket to Nigeria.
Another side to feature in Lagos in December will be Ghana, who will hope to maintain their fine form ahead of the African showpiece following a 7-1 win at home to Kenya.
Ghanaian progression was all but assured thanks to their 10-3 away victory but, on Sunday, the hosts hit the goal trail once more in Accra.
The fourth qualification clash saw Ivory Coast return home with a 7-3 lead against Tanzania before swiftly adding to that advantage – claiming a 6-4 win on home sand.
The four nations will join hosts Nigeria in Lagos along with Morocco, Egypt and Libya, with the latter trio receiving byes after Liberia, Uganda and Sudan withdrew.
Also qualified for the competition in 2017 are the Bahamas and OFC representatives Tahiti as well as the European quartet of Italy, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland.
Second leg results
Senegal 5-2 Cape Verde (12-4 agg)
Cote d’Ivoire 6-4 Tanzania (13-7 agg)
Ghana 7-1 Kenya (17-4 agg)
Madagascar 6-2 Mozambique (9-4 agg)
Image via CAF
