It was meant to be.

Exactly 500 days before Senegal hosts the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, which features beach handball, the African nation recorded their first-ever wins at an IHF Beach Handball World Championship.

Both the men’s and women’s Senegal national teams are making their global debut at the 2025 IHF Men’s and Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championships in Hammamet, Tunisia after the IHF Executive Committee awarded them their respective places to replace withdrawn teams with the aim of helping the nation prepare for Dakar 2026 and build on its legacy.

First taste of victory on sand for Senegal

And in front of a packed central court crowd against Tunisia, Senegal women delivered, coming from behind to beat the hosts via shoot-out, 2-1 (8:15, 20:14, SO 7:4), the result sparking wild celebrations on court, with the Senegalese men running on to join in the fun too.

“Nous sommes des lions” (‘we are lions’),” said captain Latdara Ndoye when asked how she felt directly after that historic result, to ihf.info. “We played well; this was a good match. After the first set, we encouraged the team and told ourselves we could do it. Our men’s team were cheering us on through the game, plus the Tunisian supporters were also cheering for their team.”

Helping guide Ndoye and her squad to the victory was former French indoor international goalkeeper and 2003 IHF Women’s World Championship winner Valerie Nicolas, part of the Senegal coaching staff, which also includes Khalifa Abdou Aziz Diouf and Ndeye Fatou Gueye.

Nicolas is working along with Mika Iles as part of an IHF project with the Senegalese Handball Federation to help develop the sport ahead of Dakar 2026.

And her playing experience in-between the posts proved invaluable for that historic result with goalkeeper Jacqueline Lopp ending the preliminary round jointly topping the most save charts with 21, an average of seven per game.

“Yes, especially facing the Tunisian shooters, I chose a goalkeeper that would go for the players, and shooters that would annoy the Tunisian goalkeeper,” she explained when asked if her years as a player helped with the tactics behind the shoot-out, a key part of beach handball.

“I changed tactics, and changed some players, right and left,” she added about making adjustments after losing a one-sided first set. “Things in beach handball can change from a set to another, so that’s why it’s important to always believe it’s possible to win the match.”

No time to celebrate

But, as anyone knows, beach handball tournaments do not wait for anyone, and as quick as Senegal had won their first game in the morning, they were already walking back to their hotel to concentrate on their afternoon encounter against Mexico.

Ahead of the match, Mexico had to win to keep their dreams of progressing into the main round alive. 

If they had won, and if Tunisia lost against the strong Hungarians, then all three of Senegal, Mexico and Tunisia would have been on two points each – the two spots for the main round from the three then going down to a mini-group with results against each other taken into account and then set, or even points difference.

All Senegal had to do was register one set, win or lose and they would be through. In the end, they did more, winning two tight sets to take a 2-0 (21:19, 16:14) victory over their North America and The Caribbean (NACHC) continent rivals.

“I feel happy, satisfied, lots of positive feelings actually,” said Senegal left back Mame Anta Ndao to ihf.info after their second victory of the day. “We really hope to win this competition and I think we’re able of doing so. I am enjoying everything happening here. There are lots of good vibes, a good crowd, it’s so cool.”

“I didn't put it in their heads that they needed to just win one set in this game to take the qualification spot and two points into the main round, I didn't speak about this, just that they needed to win this game to continue and to be part of the other group,” explained Nicolas about her Mexico pre-match talk with her side.

“It was difficult, because earlier we had the first beach handball victory for Senegal for men or women in history, and this was something important against Tunisia, who were playing at home,” she added.

“The girls were very excited to win; it was a very good surprise for us to win, but I had to tell them to calm down, because our second game against Mexico was also very important. I said them; ‘if you win in the morning and you lose in the afternoon it’s not good, so it's important to try to win all the time if you can’, but it is not easy, because they don’t really have any experience.”

Everything is new, representing their country and culture

“Don’t really have any experience” is a bit of an understatement. 

The opening day clash against Hungary was their first-ever competitive game anywhere. Even though they lost 2-0 (23:16, 12:10), they could have won a set, being equal at 10:10 in the last seconds of the second set, before committing a foul, giving away a six-metre penalty and then turning the ball over on their next attack after a technical fault.

And Nicolas explained that was not the only first the team had experienced with their trip to Tunisia so far.

“It has been a really good sporting experience for them so far, but this is a human experience first,” explained the coach, who won the EHF Champions League with Viborg as a player in 2006.

“Some of my players have never taken the plane and this was their first time. For them, everything is new. They have opened their eyes, and are taking in this whole experience because they know what’s most important for Senegal; next year and the Youth Olympic Games, but we are all taking it step-by-step.

“I say to them that they're from Senegal and they need to be happy, smile, dance; to do what they like to do, to show they are from Senegal. I give a little bit of my French experience, and try to get them to focus on what is important, like their timing, but I want their big part to be their Senegal style.

“They can do lot of things that they don’t think they can do, they have power in their legs, for example, but they have no experience and this is why, sometimes, they make big mistakes.”

And Nicolas has help from her captain, Ndoye, in managing the whole experience.

“I picked her as captain because she’s calm, serene, and in this Senegal team I need someone like that,” she explained about the 16-year-old pivot. “You see, the girls are quite, let’s say…really happy to be here, they are dynamic and festive. And since Latdara talks to everyone, I needed her wisdom to control that excitement. She’s combative and aggressive, on top of being clever.” 

That partnership of responsibility between Nicolas and her captain is also the same for coaching too with Nicolas sharing duties with Diouf and Gueye.

“We speak with the girls and I ask them what they are feeling, and if they want to take something, but it's me who takes a responsibility of what we do,” she said. “I talk with my second coach and the coach also who is outside of the court and we all work together. I explain to them what is important to focus on and I also give some of my experience.”

Discovering a sport

Team captain Ndoye found beach handball through coach Aziz at the beginning of 2020 and is now also playing indoor handball, including representing her county at the youth level too, while teammate Ndao had a slightly different path, one which she hopes will continue expanding her handball career.

“Actually, I was doing athletics, and just supporting my local women’s handball team,” said the 17-year-old. “Then, I started to train and play with them, and that eventually led me here. It feels so good playing for your country. You make your family proud, they support and follow you, your country too – everyone is behind you. There is already pride to be in the national team, but we’re also doing everything to be at our best and make our nation proud. 

“In addition, I also play for the indoor regional team of Dakar, but one day I want to play for the national indoor team and I know I will someday.”

Setting the foundations for beach handball in Senegal
Going into the third day of competition in Tunisia, Senegal now find themselves in the main round where they will face the tough trio of Spain, Uruguay and Croatia.

Currently sitting fourth in main round group II before a game is played – thanks to their two points carried through – Senegal will qualify for the quarter-finals if they do not rank any lower.

But whatever happens, taking two wins in your debut championship where you have played your first-ever games is crucial for the long-term support back home.

“Before the world championship, the federation didn’t want to speak too much because they didn't know what would happen here, if we would lose all the games,” explained Nicolas.

“With two wins now, I know that they are starting to talk about beach handball there so it's very exciting. It's what we are also coming here for; to show that beach handball will be in the Youth Olympic games in Senegal and we can be part of something good – they can show the world. It’s too early to think about it, but we’re going to do everything to be ready for it.” 

With thanks to Noe Calman for the player quotes.