Egypt miss out on Los Angeles 2028 beach volleyball qualification

Egypt’s men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams have lost their chance to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after both sides failed to reach the finals of the African Championships in Alexandria.

The tournament is being held from 18 to 22 August, with the winners of the men’s and women’s competitions earning direct qualification for the Olympic beach volleyball events at Los Angeles 2028.

Egypt’s men were eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing 2-1 to Angola. The women’s campaign ended at the semi-final stage, where they were beaten by Morocco by the same score.

As neither Egypt team reached the respective final, both have been ruled out of the direct qualification opportunity offered by this edition of the continental championship.

The African Championships feature 24 teams in the men’s competition and 22 teams in the women’s event. The tournament has brought together teams from across the continent, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mozambique, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Kenya, Angola, Botswana, Mauritius, Comoros, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Lesotho, The Gambia, South Africa and Seychelles.

The competition carries particular importance because the African champions will qualify directly for the 2028 Olympics. Egypt’s defeats therefore ended the country’s hopes of securing a place through the continental route.

Egypt have never previously competed in men’s beach volleyball at the Olympic Games.

The women’s team have appeared at two Olympic editions. They competed at Rio 2016 and returned for Paris 2024, finishing 19th on both occasions.

The results in Alexandria mean Egypt’s women will not be able to improve on that Olympic record at Los Angeles 2028 through the African Championship title, while the men remain without an Olympic beach volleyball appearance.

The men’s quarter-final defeat to Angola came before the final rounds, while Morocco’s victory over Egypt in the women’s semi-final prevented the hosts from reaching the decisive match. Both matches ended 2-1, leaving Egypt without a finalist in either competition.

With the tournament winner in each category receiving the continent’s direct Olympic place, the outcome in Alexandria represents a significant setback for Egypt’s beach volleyball programme.