Alseyni Ndiaye likes to say that his life was turned on its head at the age of 17, when he decided to give up 11-a-side football and devote himself solely to beach soccer. Given the sport’s low profile at the time in Senegal, few people understood his choice, with many questioning it.

Today, some of those same people are thanking him. At 33, the Vision Sport goalkeeper embodies the hope of one day seeing an African country lift a FIFA Beach World Cup™ at senior level. Ndiaye speaks to FIFA about Beach soccer’s transformation from “a holiday sport for people in their forties” in Senegal, an inspiring speech he gave to the senior 11-a-side side and his belief the Lions of Teranga can go all the way at UAE 2024.