LA28 berths up for grabs in Alexandrian sand

In Abu Haif Beach, Egypt, the 2026 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Senior Championships commenced this week. This competition will determine the Olympic spots for Africa's women's and men's beach volleyball teams. Each gender features 24 teams from various African countries, including Morocco, Algeria, and Nigeria. These teams are divided into six single round-robin pools, with four or three teams per pool.

The top teams from each pool, along with the runners-up and the best-ranked third-placed teams, will advance to the eighth finals. The remaining four third-placed teams will compete in a sixteenth final round to secure the final two berths among the last 16 teams. The tournament started on Tuesday, and several teams have already demonstrated their strength.

In the women's category, Cameroon, Morocco, Mozambique, and Seychelles have all seen victories. Kenya, Mozambique, and Egypt have also made their presence felt in the men's competition. The championships are scheduled to conclude on Sunday. Egypt's Marwa Abdelhady & Doaa Elghobashy, who previously competed in Paris 2024, are the top-seeded team in the women's competition.

Dina Mellal of Morocco, seeded second, is the reigning 2025 African champion. Vanessa Muianga and Ana Sinaportar of Mozambique, who together won African Championship bronze in 2022, are the third-seeded team. The men's field includes Moroccan duo Soufiane El Gharouti and Zouheir Elgraoui, who is also a 2025 silver medalist and a two-time Olympian.

Mozambique's Jose Alberto Mondlane & Osvaldo Mungoi, who are bronze medalists from the last two continental championships, are the highest-ranked African team and are seeded third. Egypt's Moaz Abdelkarim & Youssef Abdelrahman, who represent the host nation, are the bracket leaders in the men's competition.