The stakes are incredibly high at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, where the continent’s best table tennis players are set to clash at the El-Menzah Sports Hall in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. They are competing for prestigious continental titles and coveted tickets to the ITTF World Cup.

Starting Tuesday, February 25, the competition for the continental slots in the Men’s and Women’s World Cup will be intense. Semi-finalists will earn their places on the flight to Macao, China, in April.

In the Men’s Singles, 29 players will compete for four coveted spots in the global tournament in China, while 21 players will vie for the four tickets in the Women’s Singles.

Defending champions, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref, face a Herculean task to retain their titles against formidable opponents eager to dethrone them at the beautiful El-Menzah Sports Hall.

Aruna aims for his sixth title alongside Egypt’s Omar Assar, who is also targeting his sixth laurel in Tunis.

They will contend with rising stars like Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, Nigeria’s Matthew Kuti, Cameroon’s Batix Ylane, and other experienced players already in Tunis.

Meshref, the most successful player in the competition, seeks to surpass her nine titles in Tunis.

However, she must elevate her game to maintain her dominance.

Africa’s highest-ranked female player, Hana Goda of Egypt, will target her third title after dual victories in Lagos 2022 and Nairobi 2023.

While the two Egyptians may face off against each other at some stage of the competition, they must keep an eye out for other contenders seeking to rewrite the record books in Tunis through stunning upsets.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, and to strategically highlight ITTF-Africa’s corporate partners while celebrating excellence in table tennis, the continental body is introducing individual awards at ITTF-Africa events starting with the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis.

ValueJet Player of the Day (Male & Female): Awarded to players who deliver outstanding performances on each matchday starting from the knockout stage. Sponsor: ValueJet

Ethiopian Holiday Most Improved Player of the Tournament (Male & Female): Recognizing rising stars and new talents who make a significant impact at the event. Sponsor: Ethiopian Airlines Holiday

Stag Fair Play Award (Male or Female): For the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship and fairness throughout the tournament. Sponsor: Stag

With this new partnership, ITTF Africa believes the awards will elevate player recognition and enhance sponsors’ engagement with the events.

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Nigeria’s sole representatives in the 2025 ITTF African Club Championships, the Canaan Queens of Calabar, have fought their way into the semifinals of the women’s event in Tunis, Tunisia.

Eight teams from Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, and Madagascar are competing in the Women’s event, with Egypt’s Zamalek aiming to defend their 2024 title.

In the Men’s category, nine teams from Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Madagascar, Congo DR, and Cote d’Ivoire are vying for honours, with Egypt’s ENPPI as the defending champions.

The Nigerian team, led by Fatimo Bello, Janet Effiom, Cecilia Otu-Akpan, and Hope Udoaka, has already defeated their Tunisian and Madagascan counterparts in Group 1 of the Women’s event. 

However, in their last group match, the Nigerian ladies fell 3-0 to defending champions Zamalek of Egypt, finishing second in the group and advancing to the semifinals.

The Calabar Queens will face Petrojet of Egypt in the first semifinal of the Women’s event on Monday, February 24, at the El-Menzah Sports Hall in Tunis.

Competition Manager Ghazi Ben Hsen noted the impressive turnout of teams for the Club Championships, with Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, and Congo DR participating for the first time. He added that the tournament serves as a good rehearsal for the Africa Cup, which kicks off on Tuesday, February 25.

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Defending champions, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna and Egypt’s Dina Meshref, are set to defend their titles at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis, Tunisia, from February 25 to 27.

In addition to the titles, players will compete for spots at the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China, this April.

As the first tournament on the ITTF Africa calendar, the event promises to be explosive, with many of the continent’s top players heading to Tunisia next week. The semifinalists in both the men’s and women’s events will secure their places at the expanded ITTF World Cup.

The El-Menzah Sports Palace, a multi-purpose arena with a capacity of 5,500 spectators, will host the three-day, $25,000 prize money tournament.

Aruna will renew his long-time rivalry with Egypt’s Omar Assar. Aruna, the most decorated player in the tournament’s history, has won the title five times (2024, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2009). Assar has also claimed the title five times (2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2015), but Aruna has appeared in more finals.

Other notable players include Benin’s Abdel-Kabir Salifou, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, and Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, who will be looking to cause upsets.

On the women’s side, nine-time champion Dina Meshref will defend her crown against rising star and compatriot Hana Goda, the continent’s number-one ranked player, and 2024 runner-up Mariam Alhodaby.

Lotfi Guerfel, President of the Tunisia Table Tennis Federation (TTTF), promises an exciting event with live-streaming of matches. “TTTF is well-prepared to host these significant events in Africa. Our team has accumulated extensive experience through previously hosted tournaments. We consistently seek feedback from all stakeholders to enhance the success of our future events. Our readiness to host the Africa Cup is rooted in meticulous planning and organization, starting with establishing various committees with clear roles and responsibilities and ensuring all logistics, especially high-quality equipment, are in place. We will ensure our technology team is ready to broadcast the event online for remote audiences and provide updates through our dedicated platform.”

Wahid Enitan Oshodi, President of ITTF Africa, added, “The level of table tennis in Africa has grown exponentially over the last few years. This tournament is not only a platform for established players but also an opportunity for young talents to make a name for themselves.”

The ITTF Africa Cup 2025 will feature a preliminary round on the opening day, followed by knockout stages on the final two days. The four semi-finalists in both categories will automatically qualify for the ITTF Singles World Cup Macao 2025, which will be held from April 14 to 20, 2025.

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