Adelaide: The Qatari national team will face their French counterparts on Thursday in the Round of 16 of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships Adelaide 2025, running in Australia until November 23, with the participation of 48 teams.

According to Qatar News Agency, Team Qatar, comprising Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, qualified for this round after defeating the Brazilian duo George and Saymon in straight sets with scores of 23-21 and 22-20 in a Round of 32 match on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the French team, made up of Rotar and Gauthier-Rat, also advanced to the same round by beating the Argentine duo Amieva and Bueno in straight sets, 22-20 and 21-12.

Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan aim to secure victory over their French opponents and qualify for the championship's quarterfinals, where they hope to progress gradually toward reaching the podium.

The Qatari duo won all of its group-stage matches, earning the full six points. Cherif and Ahmed began their campaign with a straight-sets victory over the Cuban duo Damian Gomez and Eblis Veranes, with scores of 21-18 and 21-14. In the second match, Qatar defeated the Swiss duo Yves Haussener and Julian Friedli in straight sets, 21-15 and 21-15. The third match was also won in straight sets against Austria's Timo Hammarberg and Tim Berger, with scores of 21-12 and 22-20, sending Cherif and Ahmed into the Round of 32, where they beat the Brazilian duo George and Simon in straight sets (23-21, 22-20) to reach the Round of 16.

The Qatari beach volleyball team seeks to continue their strong performances in various international tournaments to add to their impressive record. Qatar's Cherif and Ahmed have made several international achievements, most notably the bronze medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and fourth place at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, in addition to winning eight gold medals this season across different tournaments, reflecting the significant development of Qatari beach volleyball in recent years.