For three straight days from February 25 to 27, 2025, African heavyweights converged on Tunis, the Tunisian capital, for the Continental Cup and to punch their tickets to the prestigious International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup.
The elite talent numbering 50 and drawn from Algeria, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Congo DR, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Egypt, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia, also competed to become African champions.
Change of Guard: Enter the New African Champs
As the tournament ended on Thursday, Hana Goda and Omar Assar emerged as the new champions of Africa. While the younger Goda dethroned fellow Egyptian Dina Meshref 4-2 to clinch the Women’s Singles title, her compatriot, Assar, narrowly edged Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna in a 4-3 battle of the superstars of African table tennis in the Men’s Singles final matchup.
Following his win in the previous edition in Rwanda, Aruna entered the tournament as the defending champion but came up short this time.
In a down-to-the-wire match, the Nigerian lost the first set 11-3 to Assar before rallying to pick the second set 16-14. His arch-rival claimed the third set also, but Aruna equalised with the following round.
Both superstars in an ebb-and-flow shared the fourth and fifth rounds before Assar swept Aruna aside in the final set to claim the title.
On the women's side, six-time African champion Dina Meshref defended her crown against the continent's number-one ranked player, Hana Goda, and 2024 runner-up Mariam Alhodaby. At the end, Goda came up tops.
After falling behind 2-0, 16-year-old Goda rallied to win Meshref 4-2, reclaiming her title. The reigning women’s champion had dominated with scores of 11-9 and 11-5, but Goda regained her composure, ensuring that the next four games ended 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, and 12-10 in her favour.
Semi-finalists Get World Cup Tickets as Consolation Prizes
Credit: Afrosport
Table tennis, one of the most popular sports worldwide, continues to thrive across the continent. From the hustle and bustle of the streets in West Africa to the sports halls of East and Southern Africa, table tennis has gained an ever-growing following.
Competitions at the Palais des sports d’El Menzah, in Tunis, were intense, with eight qualifiers although all semi-finalists were already sure of the participation in the ITTF Singles World Cup 2025 in Macao, China from April 14 to 20, through the continental route.
They include: Omar Assar (Egypt), Quadri Aruna (Nigeria), Abdel-Kader Salifou (Benin) and Ylane Batix (Cameroon), who will be Africa’s representatives at Macao in the Men’s singles. In the Women’s singles, Fatimo Bello (Nigeria) joins the top three seeded Egyptians Hana Goda, Dina Meshref and Mariam Alhodaby in pursuit of their World Cup ticket.
How Elite Talent Travelled the Road to Tunis
Credit: Sports247
The Egyptians dominated the women’s singles right from the group stages, living up to their billings in the seedings list, with straight victories. Alhodaby, who dropped a game against home hope Fadwa Garci in the group stages. The knockout stages also progressed without surprises, with the top 4 seeds reaching the semifinals and booking their spots at the mega event.
For Fatimo Bello, this is her first time qualifying for the ITTF World Cup. She prevailed against her opponents and the home crowd. She thwarted the twin Tunisian threat of Fadwa Garcia and Ela Saidi in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinal respectively, ensuring Nigerian representation in both Men’s and Women’s singles.
The Egyptian women had a fairly easier outing, with Alhodaby and Meshref not dropping a single game until the semifinals. Top seeded Hana Goda found herself in a spot of bother in the quarterfinals against Tunisian Maram Zoghlami, losing the first game, but she soon found her groove and secured her spot at Macao.
The men’s field witnessed intense battles as contrasting styles clashed in the fight for qualification. Top seed Omar Assar found himself in the heart of the storm, narrowly escaping an early exit against teenage sensation and home hope Wassim Essid in the round of 16. Assar edged past the fearless youngster 4-3, clinching the decider 12-10. The victory carried extra weight—Essid had stunned him when they last met at the ITTF African Club Championships.
This time, however, the seasoned Egyptian dug deep, relying on his experience to weather the storm. The road to qualification remained treacherous, as Assar faced yet another stern test in Algeria’s Mehdi Bouloussa in the quarterfinals. In a gripping contest, he overcame his challenger 4-2, punching his ticket to yet another ITTF World Cup. Second seed and Nigerian Legend Quadri Aruna dominated his side of the draw, winning his round of 16 and Quarterfinal encounters in straight sets against Mohamed Khaloufi (Tunisia) and Kizito Oba (Côte d’Ivoire). In classic Aruna fashion, he used his dominant forehand to great effect and barely broke a sweat en route to securing his Macao ticket.
In a Cinderella story, Abdel-Kader Salifou defeated 4th seed Olajide Omatayo (Nigeria) 4-1 in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he overcame 2-time Olympian Mohamed Elbeiali (Egypt) with another convincing 4-1 victory. He was all smiles as he set himself for a debut at the ITTF World Cup. A former French international who was a part of the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in 2013, Salifou created history by single-handedly putting Benin on the map of African and world table tennis, and will certainly be looking to ruffle a few more feathers at the World Cup.
Cameroonian chopper Ylane Batix completes the African contingent. With his unique defensive tactics and ‘away from the table’ game, he physically and mentally outlasted Saheed Idowu (Congo) and Antoine Razafinarivo (Madagascar) with an identical scoreline of 4-2 in the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals respectively. The Montpellier-based teenager will look to bring his trademark variations to the fore as he is set to make his debut appearance at the big stage.
Conclusion
The stage is now set for Africa’s table tennis finest to carry the weight of their continent’s aspirations onto the global stage. Their performances at the African Cup championship have set high expectations for the continent's representatives. As the ITTF World Cup 2025 kicks off on April 14, the eight qualifiers will be determined to showcase their skill and resilience against the world’s best. They will be expected to push themselves to new heights and challenge the best, proving that Africa is a force to be reckoned with as far as the sport is concerned. Sportblot wishes them the very best!
The journey of these African representatives from Tunis to Macao is more than just a geographic transition but an affirmation of the growing presence of African table tennis on the world stage. Meanwhile, the 2025 African Cup was an opportunity to address some of the challenges facing the sport in Africa. Issues such as limited access to quality training facilities, financial constraints, and the need for more advanced coaching programs are obstacles that can be alleviated through the increased exposure and partnerships created by events like the African Cup.
