The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is looking forward towards the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Speaking via conference call yesterday, the president of the most powerful football body in the region said that the game of beach soccer has exploded onto the scene, and he’s looking forward to witnessing the tremendous talent on display when he comes for the start of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017 in few weeks’ time.
According to The Nassau Guardian, FIFA’s (International Federation of Association Football) first global sporting event in the Caribbean, is now just three weeks away, set for April 27 to May 7, at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility in Nassau, The Bahamas.
However, Canandian Victor Montagliani, FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF President, said that for The Bahamas to host a tournament of this magnitude speaks wonders. He said that it could only further promote and develop the sport in The Bahamas, and by extension, the CONCACAF region. Panama, Mexico and The Bahamas will represent CONCACAF at the beach soccer world cup.
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CONCACAF top seed Panama will play out of Group C of the beach soccer world cup with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Paraguay and Portugal. Mexico is in Group B with Iran, Nigeria and Italy. The Bahamas will play out of Group A with Switzerland, Ecuador and Senegal. Group D comprises of Brazil, Tahiti, Japan and Poland. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals.
Montagliani said that it is because of facilities like the one that was recently constructed at Malcolm Park, and the hosting of major international touranments such as the beach soccer world cup which causes the sport to grow in the Caribbean and the CONCACAF region.
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A team from CONCACAF has never won the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The closest a team from the region came from 10 years ago when Mexico finished second behind four-time champions Brazil. Nine of the top 10 teams in the world, according to the Beach Soccer Worldwide overall rankings, will be in The Bahamas for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017.
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