A confrontation of epic proportion is expected when table tennis archrivals, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Egypt’s Omar Assar clash in the final duel of the ITTF-Africa.

Their semi-finals matches lived up to expectations. Though the battles were tough, the favourites found a way to push through the stiff competition.

Omar Assar edged past surprise semi-finalist Salifou Abdel Kader with a thrilling 4-3 victory, while Quadri Aruna cruised past Cameroonian Ylane Batix to set up a much-anticipated face-off with his archrival Assar.

Once again, the women’s singles final will be an all-Egyptian affair, highlighting the North African giants’ dominance. Dina Meshref is set to defend her title against Hana Goda.

Goda secured her spot with a commanding 4-1 win over Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello, while Meshref had to dig deep to overcome Mariam Alhodaby 4-2.

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ITTF-AFRICA MEDIA

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Africa’s top table tennis talents have clinched their places in the 2025 ITTF World Cup by advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing ITTF Africa Cup in Tunis.

The standout players include Quadri Aruna, Omar Assar, Hana Goda, Dina Meshref, Mariam Alhodaby, and Fatimo Bello.

Hana Goda of Egypt was the first to secure her ticket with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tunisia’s Maram Zoghlami.

Hana Goda of Egypt

Following her lead, Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello also triumphed 4-1 against Tunisian teenager Ela Saidi. Consequently, she too picked a ticket.

Fatimo Bello of Nigeria

Omar Assar, a five-time Africa Cup champion, faced a tougher challenge.

The Egyptian was pushed to his limits by Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa in the men’s quarterfinals but ultimately prevailed 4-2 to qualify for the World Cup.

Omar Assar of Egypt

Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou earned his maiden ITTF World Cup ticket after defeating Egypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou

Meanwhile, nine-time African Cup champion Dina Meshref of Egypt overwhelmed Nigeria’s Aminat Fashola to make her return to the ITTF World Cup.

African Cup champion Dina Meshref of Egypt

Mariam Alhodaby added a third ticket for Egypt with a dominant 4-0 win over Algeria’s Lynda Logrhaibi, securing her place in Macao, China.

Mariam Alhodaby of Egypt

It was smooth sailing for Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, who defeated Cote d’Ivoire’s Oba Oba Kizito 4-0 to return as a regular face at the ITTF World Cup. 

Cameroon’s Ylane Batix also secured his maiden ticket to the ITTF World Cup after a 4-2 victory over Madagascar’s Antoine Razafinarivo in the quarterfinals.

Cameroon’s Ylane Batix

In the semifinals, Aruna will face Batix, while Assar will compete against Salifou in the Men’s Singles.

In the Women’s Singles semifinals, Goda will battle Bello, and Meshref will take on Alhodaby in the race to the podium in Tunis.

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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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