Beach Soccer World Cup: Senegal into the semi-finals!

Senegal continues to electrify the African continent! In the quarter-finals of the Beach Soccer World Cup, organized for the first time in Africa, in the Seychelles, the Lions of the Beach pulled off a sensational upset by knocking out Italy (4-3 after extra time), last year’s World Cup runners-up, on Thursday in Victoria.

Dominant in the group stage with three convincing victories over Spain, Tahiti, and Chile, the Senegalese have cemented their reputation as formidable dark horses.

From the very first minute, Mamour Diagne opened the scoring, giving his team a dream start. But the Italians responded through Fazzini (15’) and Zurlo (18’), taking the lead before the end of the second period.

A completely wild finish

Sanou Laye Thiaw brought Senegal level (20’), but Marchesi restored the Azzurri’s advantage (21’). Then, in a dramatic twist, goalkeeper Ousseynou Faye equalized again with a remarkable clearance (26’).

Extra time was tense, until Mamour Diagne, once again, stepped up two seconds from the end to score the winning goal.

Senegal will take on Belarus on Saturday with a place in the final within reach. The African dream is more alive than ever.

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.