MAPUTO, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- This year's edition of the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON), the main championship and biennial sports event for beach soccer in Africa, officially started Friday in southern Mozambique's seaside resort Vilankulo, one of the country's top tourist destinations.
Taking place for the first time in Mozambique, the BSAFCON Vilankulo 2022 brought together teams from seven African countries, namely, Mozambique, Malawi, Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, Madagascar, and Uganda.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi presided over the opening ceremony in Vilankulo, province of Inhambane, where he highlighted the potential for tourism in the region and expressed appreciation for the event being held in his country.
"This event will be indelibly registered in our memories, not only for the symbolism it represents but also for the magic that sport represents in coexistence, peace, and friendship between peoples," said the president when addressing the opening ceremony.
Nyusi said that the event shows that Africans have open hearts to live together as a family and transform competition into a uniting factor.
He said his country is well prepared to host the game and that he hopes there will be more opportunities for Mozambique to host more international events in the future.
The seven African teams are divided into two groups. Group A brings together Mozambique, Morocco, and Malawi. The B group consists of Senegal, the six times champion, Madagascar, which was champion in 2015, Egypt, and Uganda.
Following the opening ceremony, the group match between Mozambique and Malawi, the only newcomer in the competition, took place on the same day.
The champion and runner-up from the eight-day competition will qualify for the 2023 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. At last year's "World Cup," Africa was represented by Mozambique and Senegal. ■
