Africa’s table tennis powerhouses, Nigeria and Egypt, will lead the charge for qualification to the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London, United Kingdom, as the continent’s top teams converge in Tunis, Tunisia, for the 2025 ITTF African Championships from October 12 to 19.

London 2026 marks a historic centenary celebration, returning the World Championships to the city where it all began in 1926. The Tunis tournament serves as the official African qualification event, with the top-performing men’s and women’s teams securing their place on the sport’s grandest stage.

In the men’s division, Nigeria—West Africa’s dominant force—and Egypt—the North African powerhouse—will be joined by Tunisia, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Benin Republic, DR Congo, and Morocco.

The women’s field features Egypt, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Madagascar, DR Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, Angola, Algeria, and host nation Tunisia.

With London in sight, the battle for qualification will intensify during the final three days of the continental tournament, where all eyes will be on Nigeria and Egypt as they renew their storied rivalry.

According to the ITTF, London 2026 will feature 64 teams in both the men’s and women’s events—an expansion from the previous 40-team format. This growth reflects the global rise of table tennis and opens the door for more nations to compete at the highest level.

The tournament will unfold across two iconic London venues. The Copper Box Arena will host the opening rounds from April 28 to May 1, followed by the main draw at Wembley Arena from May 2 to 10, where the world’s elite will compete for the ultimate prize.

Each gender will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, with round-robin matches determining progression. A key innovation in the format is the introduction of Stage 1a and Stage 1b:

Stage 1a features the top eight teams (seven highest-ranked plus host nation) split into two groups. All eight automatically advance, with group results determining seedings.

Stage 1b includes the remaining 56 teams across 14 groups. The 14 group winners and six best second-placed teams qualify directly. The remaining eight second-placed teams enter a preliminary knockout round, with four winners completing the 32-team main draw.

From the first serve at the Copper Box to the final point at Wembley, London 2026 promises to celebrate not only the present strength of global table tennis but also the remarkable journey that began in the same city a century ago.

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The 2025 ITTF-Africa Senior Championships, earlier scheduled to take place at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, will now be staged at the Salle Omnisport de Radès in Tunis, Tunisia, from 12th to 19th October.

The decision, announced by ITTF-Africa, follows a review prompted by unforeseen circumstances that hindered Rwanda’s ability to host the continental showpiece as originally planned.

Tunisia, recognised as one of Africa’s most reliable hosts for major international competitions, was selected as replacement. The North African nation boasts a strong record of staging high-profile events, including World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments, continental junior and senior championships, and most recently the Africa Cup in February 2025.

Expressing confidence in the new hosts, ITTF-Africa Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, said:
“Tunisia has consistently demonstrated excellence in hosting world-class table tennis competitions, and we are confident that the 2025 ITTF-Africa Senior Championships will be another success.”

The ITTF-Africa Senior Championships are the continent’s largest table tennis event and will double as a qualifier for the 2026 World Championships in London, England.

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Tunisia’s Wassim Essid capped his extended stay in Nigeria with a resounding triumph, clinching the boys’ U-19 singles title at the inaugural ITTF Africa Youth Cup tagged the BRF Cup.

Essid delivered a dominant 4-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8) victory over Nigeria’s Muiz Adegoke in the final held at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.

The win marked a strong comeback for Africa’s top-ranked male youth player, who had earlier fallen short in the final of the ITTF Africa Youth Championships, losing 1-4 to Egypt’s Badr Mostafa.

Essid’s path to redemption included a gritty 4-3 quarterfinal win over Nigeria’s Abdulbasit Abdulfatai.

Reflecting on his Nigerian tour, which began with the WTT Contender Lagos (July 22–26) and continued through the youth tournaments (July 27–August 5), Essid described the BRF Cup victory as “a fitting conclusion” to a rewarding three-week campaign in Lagos.

In the girls’ U-19 category, Egypt’s Mariam Younes reinforced her growing dominance on the continent with a commanding 4-0 win over compatriot Nour Zaki.

The win added another trophy to her cabinet, coming just days after successfully defending her title at the ITTF Africa Youth Championships.

Meanwhile, Algeria’s Tania Morice made history by clinching the inaugural girls’ U-15 singles title.

Morice staged a dramatic comeback from two sets down to defeat Uganda’s Jemimah Nakawala 3-2 (5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-6). The victory added to her U-15 title at the Youth Championships, solidifying her status as one of the continent’s rising stars.

Uganda celebrated a breakthrough in the boys’ U-15 final, where Joseph Sebatindira defeated compatriot Sharif Nsereko in straight sets (3-0), underscoring the East African nation’s growing presence in youth table tennis.

The ITTF Africa Youth Cup attracted 76 young talents—45 boys and 31 girls—from 14 countries, all vying for glory and vital ranking points. The tournament, fully sanctioned by the International Table Tennis Federation, will contribute to players’ official ITTF world rankings next week.

The BRF Cup was named in honour of Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Governor of Lagos State, whose 2013 approval of the Lagos International Sports Classics laid the groundwork for Lagos’s emergence as a continental and global hub for table tennis. His administration’s investment helped establish the city as a key stop on the ITTF Challenge Series and now the WTT Contender Lagos.

The naming of the BRF Cup serves as a tribute to Fashola’s enduring legacy in sports development and his commitment to youth empowerment across Africa.

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