Seychelles and Mauritania bow out of FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025

Seychelles suffered a 10-2 defeat to Japan at the Paradise Arena, concluding their FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025 campaign at the bottom of Group A. Meanwhile, Mauritania also exited the tournament, finishing last in Group B after a spirited 9-5 loss to Paraguay.

Despite the result, there were bright moments for Seychelles—most notably from teenager Lienal Bibi, who made history by becoming the third-youngest goalscorer in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup history. Bibi, aged just 16 years and 259 days, equalized at 1-1 with Japan and later struck again to level at 2-2, showcasing his potential on the world stage.

Bibi trails only South Africa’s Ricardo Francisco (16 years, 130 days) and Nigeria’s Azeez Abu (15 years, 170 days) on the all-time youngest scorers list. Remarkably, all six youngest scorers in tournament history hail from Africa.

Japan eventually pulled away, dominating the second and third periods to seal a comfortable win and secure second place in Group A behind Belarus.

Mauritania, already eliminated before kick-off, delivered an entertaining battle against Paraguay. Cheikh Belkheir netted a hat-trick, while Ahmedou Bilal and Mohamed Diallo also found the target. The match was tied at 4-4 going into the third period before Paraguay surged ahead to seal the victory.

Elsewhere, Belarus thrashed Guatemala 12-3 in Group A to record the joint fourth-largest win in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ history—behind Portugal’s 14-2 demolition of Solomon Islands in 2006. Ihar Bryshtsel and Anatoliy Ryabko led the charge for Belarus with four goals apiece, the latter dazzling with three bicycle-kick finishes.

With the group stage wrapped up, Belarus and Japan advance from Group A. In Group B, Portugal claimed top spot with a 7-5 win over Iran in the final group match.

Quarter-final fixtures:

• Belarus vs Iran
• Portugal vs Japan
  Cover Credits - CAF Online