The African nations were first-leg winners as FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifying got underway.
Madagascar and Senegal are on course to replicate the feat of two years ago and qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in the Bahamas after negotiating the first legs of their preliminary qualifiers at the weekend.
The sides were Africa’s representatives in Espinho 2015 and, provided they finish the job, will have the chance to do so again if they progress from the CAF Beach Soccer Championship in December.
The winners of the four two-legged play-off matches will qualify for the event in Lagos, alongside hosts Nigeria as well as Morocco, Egypt and Libya – the latter trio receiving byes after Liberia, Uganda and Sudan withdrew.
Senegal and last year’s African qualification champions Madagascar made solid starts on the road to the Bahamas – the former beating Cape Verde 7-2 while Madagascar edged Mozambique 3-2.
Both first-leg victors will return home for the return leg in mid-September while African rivals Ivory Coast and Ghana will also hope to finish the job after big wins over Tanzania and Kenya respectively.
Ivory Coast ran out 7-3 winners in their first leg while Ghana recorded double figures against Kenya and will return to Accra with a 10-3 foundation to build on.
Tanzania will face Ivory Coast on September 17th – the same date as Madagascar’s clash with Mozambique – before Cape Verde and Kenya face Senegal and Ghana respectively a day later.
