ACTUALITE |
03.10.2006
Beach Soccer: Cameroon, Champion of Africa
The national beach soccer team has qualified for the 12th Beach Soccer World Cup championship in Rio de Janeiro next month.
The first-ever African Beach Soccer Championship took place on the beaches of Durban, South Africa, from 26 to 30 September 2006. Six countries took part - South Africa, Côte d`Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Cameroon. The teams played in a pool format over the first three days, after which the top two teams from each group progressed to the semi-finals and finals in a knockout format.
Cameroon played in group B alongside Côte d`Ivoire and Morocco. The other group comprised Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt. After an impressive group phase, the Indomitable Lions moved to the semi finals where they faced Egypt. Cameroon’s starlet Bikoue scored two crucial goals in the last five minutes of the game to seal the deal for the Indomitable Lions. In the other semi finals, Nigeria narrowly edged out Côte `Ivoire, 2-1, in a penalty shootout after the match ended in 5-5.
In the final disputed between two old football rivals, Cameroon and Nigeria, the level of the game was high. Cameroon proved the stronger as it beat Nigeria to be crowed African Beach soccer Champions. Both countries however booked places for the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This will be the second time that Africa is represented at the yearly Beach Soccer World Championship since it started in 1995. Africa was represented at the first-ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup last year in Rio by South Africa, who were invited to enter the tournament as the continent`s sole representatives. They departed after the first round having slumped to two successive defeats, 7-3 and 8-1 to Uruguay and Ukraine respectively.
This year, the two African teams will play in Group C and D. In all, sixteen teams will take part in the competition in Brazil from 2 to 12 November, 2006. The growing enthusiasm in the sport this year, and the fact that a championship was organised to select Africa’s representatives is, maybe, an indication that Africa might do better.
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Hits: 1 | Source:cameroon-tribune.cm | |
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