Defending champions Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Dina Meshref of Egypt, along with Egypt’s Omar Assar and Hana Goda, showcased flawless performances at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, advancing to the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament.

Aruna dominated his preliminary matches, securing convincing 3-0 victories against Tunisia’s Myshaal Sabhi and Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou. Meshref also continued her dominance, smoothly advancing to the second round.

Assar, Goda, and Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo all secured their spots in the knockout round. Meanwhile, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu stunned the Tunisian fans with a 3-1 victory over local favourite Wassim Essid.

In a surprising turn of events, Egypt’s third seed Mohamed El-Beiali suffered a 3-0 defeat against Madagascar’s Antonie Razafinarivo. Ethiopia’s Darara Mokonen Dufera, the only top seed to exit in the first round, bowed out after double defeats.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the semifinalists who will qualify for the ITTF World Cup, with the decisive matches taking place on Wednesday, February 26.

The ITTF has praised Tunisia for its exceptional organizational skills. During the opening ceremony on Tuesday, February 25, ITTF President Petra Sorling commended Tunisia for being an excellent host of top-class tournaments in Africa and among the best-organized events globally.

In his welcome address, the President of the Tunisia Table Tennis Federation (TTTF), Lotfi Guerfel, expressed gratitude to the leadership of ITTF Africa for awarding the hosting rights to Tunisia and assured all visitors of a warm stay during the tournament.

President of ITTF Africa, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, also lauded the TTTF for setting high standards in event organization.

“We are especially privileged to collaborate with the Tunisia Table Tennis Federation (TTTF), whose active participation in ITTF Africa’s initiatives sets a high standard for hosting and promoting the sport.

“Their commitment to sharing their rich culture and warmly welcoming athletes, officials, and fans from across Africa adds a special significance to this tournament. Events like this highlight both our diversity and shared passion, strengthening the bonds within our table tennis community,” Oshodi said.

Over 50 players, comprising 29 men and 21 women from Algeria, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Congo DR, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia, are participating in the three-day tournament.

This event also serves as a qualifier for the ITTF World Cup, with semi-finalists in the men’s and women’s events securing their tickets to the global tournament in China.

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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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