Still in the race after leaving Ukraine (5-4 ap)

France remains in the running to compete in the 2025 Beach Soccer World Cup after dismissing Ukraine (5-4 ap), Wednesday October 9 in the round of 16 of the European qualifiers.

The opposition in a decisive match between Ukraine (22nd in the world) and France (28th) kept all its promises. And it was the Blues who emerged victorious in this round of 16 qualifiers for the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, Wednesday October 9 in Cádiz (Spain), with a free kick transformed into extra time by Jérémy Basquaise. They will play the second phase from tomorrow, of which the first two of two groups of four will inherit a ticket for the World Cup.

THE MATCH

Better entering the game, Ukraine proved dangerous with two long free kicks, well repelled by German Salazar (2nd). The French goalkeeper was again decisive in winning a penalty, finally given away and transformed by Tymofii Lystopad (0-1, 6th). Opportunistic, Ihor Levchenko added a second goal straight away by lobbing Salazar (0-2, 8th). The Blues resurfaced just before the first break, thanks to a low cross shot with rebound from Kylian Varrel (1-1, 11th).

Ukraine regained some air in the second third, with an off-center cross shot into the top corner from Andrii Pashko (1-3, 16th), before Alexandre Artuphel found a post on a free kick from the edge of button (20th). The next one from Quentin Gosselin, however, finished in the back of the net to leave France in the match (2-3, 21st). Jérémy Basquaise was close to equalizing on a lob over the bar (22nd) then Salazar saved the Blues with a dive close to his post (24th).

France came back to the level in the final third with a return to the top corner from Jérémy Bru (3-3, 28th). But Pashko gave the Ukrainians the advantage again with a rebounding cross shot just in front of Salazar (3-4, 32nd), then replaced by his bar on a return from Levchenko (33rd). A wrong-footed penalty from the left by Bryan Maison (4-4, 35th) sent the two teams into overtime. Where a full-axis free kick from the flat of Basquaise’s right foot flush with the post (5-4, 28th) qualified the Tricolores for the second phase.