At the top of his group at the end of the group stage, the Senegal beach football national team will face Italy in the quarterfinals of the 2025 world Cup, currently underway in Seychelles. A high intensity meeting scheduled for Thursday at 3:00 p.m. GMT, which sounds like an air of revenge for the lions.
The men of Oumar Ngalla Sylla ended brilliantly first in group C after a decisive victory against Chile. Opposite, the Italians finished second in group D, behind an impressive Brazil. The Squadra Azzurra, however, has shown solid arguments with two wide success against Oman (7-4) and Salvador (5-0), despite a short defeat against the Brazilian world champions (1-2).
But beyond the sporting issue, this quarter-final resonates as a match with high symbolic value for the Lions. Indeed, Italy has often crossed the road to the Senegalese during the previous editions of the competition. The most painful memory dates back to 2017, when the Lions had been eliminated sharply (5-1) at this same stage of the competition.
-For Al-Seyni Ndiaye and her teammates, it is therefore the perfect opportunity to take their revenge and continue their global dream. Confidence is in order: before the start of the tournament, Senegal had dominated this same Italian team in the preparation match (4-2), a strong signal of their potential.
In the event of qualification, the Lions would find in the semi-finals the winner of the match between Portugal and Japan. On the other side of the painting, Brazil, a big favorite, remains to be monitored, just like Iran and Spain, which can create surprise.
Senegal is now at a turning point: dominate Italy to break the glass ceiling and get closer to a world title that still flees it. The mission is difficult, but far from being impossible for African champions.
