African champions Morocco will carry the continent’s hopes as 48 teams in each gender battle for top honours at this year’s FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, set for 14 to 23 November in Adelaide, Australia. The tournament will be staged across two iconic city venues — The Drive and Pinky Flat/Tarntanya Wama — providing a stunning backdrop for the world’s best beach volleyball teams.
Morocco are coached by Italian expert Ezio Goia who is in charge of both their men’s and women’s teams as part of a one-year Coach Support project under the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme worth 42,000 USD.
Goia’s tenure has been marked with early success having guided both Morocco’s men’s and women’s teams to gold medals during the CAVB Beach Volleyball Championships held at the Martil beach in Tetouan in June.
Morocco’s women’s duo of Mahassine Siad and Dina Mellal are set to make their debut as a pair on the world stage. For Mahassine, 37, this marks her fourth World Championship appearance after competing in the 2015, 2022, and 2023 editions. A veteran of the sand, she brings experience and leadership to her partner Dina, who will be making her first-ever appearance at the World Championship.
Mahassine & Dina warmed up for the World Championship with an impressive fourth place finish at the Beach Pro Tour Bujumbura Futures held in August in Burundi.
Mahassine Siad (right) will be playing at her fourth World Championship in Adelaide. (Photo credits: FRMVB)
Drawn in Pool J at the World Championship, the Moroccan pair face a tough challenge against Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson of Canada, Clémence Vieira and Aline Chamereau of France, and Katja Stam and Raïsa Schoon of the Netherlands—all formidable opponents with proven world-class credentials. Morocco’s campaign begins on 15 November against Canada, followed by France on 16 November, and the Netherlands on 17 November.
On the men’s side, Ilyas Rhouni Lazaar and Soufiane El Gharouti form another new-look Moroccan pair ready to make an impression. For El Gharouti, this will be his second World Championship, having represented Morocco in 2022, while Ilyas will make his World Championship debut.
The duo have been drawn in Pool L, alongside home favorites Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher of Australia, Rémi Bassereau and Calvin Aye of France, and the experienced Chilean cousins Marco Grimalt and Esteban Grimalt. Morocco will open their campaign on 14 November against Australia, followed by France on 15 November and Chile on 16 November.
Morocco’s men’s pair of Soufiane El Gharouti (right) and Anass Saber. (Photo credits: FRMVB)
For Morocco, the goal at this year’s World Championship is clear—reach the elimination stage and make African volleyball history once again.
In each gender, the 48 participating teams are split into 12 single round-robin pools of four. The pool winners, the pool runners-up and the best four of the third-placed advance straight to the sixteenthfinals. The remaining eight third-placed teams in the pools advance to the first knockout round, dubbed “the lucky loser round”. The single elimination phase starts with the four matches of “the lucky loser round” and the four winning teams advance to the sixteenthfinals.
With Volleyball Empowerment support and Goia in charge, Morocco’s broader ambition is to raise the level of beach volleyball across Africa and prove that the continent can compete with the world’s best.
The Italian has made a statement by phasing out experienced players like Zouheir El-Graoui and Mohamed Abicha and Adelaide will offer a perfect opportunity for Morocco’s new generation to leave a mark in the global beach volleyball stage.
