Rabat – Morocco has retained its African beach volleyball title after Zouheir Elgraoui and Soufiane El Gharouti defeated Algeria’s Kallouche/Dekkiche A 2-0 in the final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria.
The Moroccan pair secured the victory in two sets, winning 21-19 and 21-12 in a 40-minute final. The triumph not only confirmed Morocco’s dominance on the continental stage but also secured the men’s quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Morocco survives a tight first set
The opening set was closely contested, with neither side able to establish a significant advantage in the early stages.
Morocco initially led 2-0, but Algeria quickly responded and kept the score level at several points. The two teams continued to exchange points until Algeria moved ahead 17-16.
Elgraoui and El Gharouti responded strongly at the crucial moment, turning the score around to lead 18-17 before extending their advantage to 19-17.
Algeria managed to save one set point, but Morocco held its nerve to close out the first set 21-19 after 24 minutes.
Morocco takes control in the second set
The second set followed a different pattern as Morocco quickly established control.
Elgraoui and El Gharouti moved ahead 4-2 before Algeria fought back to level the score at 5-5.
From there, the Moroccan duo shifted into another gear, building a 12-7 lead and reaching the technical timeout with a 13-8 advantage.
Morocco continued to dominate after the break, extending its lead to 16-9 and then 17-9.
Despite Algeria’s efforts to reduce the deficit, the Moroccan pair remained in control and eventually reached championship point at 20-12.
They needed only one opportunity to finish the match, winning the second set 21-12 after 16 minutes.
Back-to-back African titles for Morocco
The victory allows Morocco to retain the African men’s beach volleyball crown won in 2025.
At last year’s championship in Martil, Soufiane El Gharouti won the title alongside Amine Sabir, while Zouheir Elgraoui and Iliyas Lazar finished as runners-up.
The two Moroccan players have now joined forces to successfully defend their country’s continental crown.
For El Gharouti, the victory represents his second consecutive African senior title. Elgraoui, meanwhile, adds another continental crown to an already impressive record that includes African titles in 2017, 2019 and 2022 with Mohamed Abicha.
Morocco books its place at Los Angeles 2028
The 2026 African Championship carried additional significance because the men’s tournament also offered a continental quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
By defeating Algeria in the final, Morocco secured that quota and took a major step toward another Olympic appearance in men’s beach volleyball.
The Moroccan team therefore leaves Alexandria with two major achievements: a second consecutive African championship and qualification for the men’s beach volleyball competition at LA28.
With a 21-19, 21-12 victory over Algeria, Elgraoui and El Gharouti have once again placed Morocco at the top of African beach volleyball.
