Nigeria on Monday defeated Algeria to win the men’s team title at the 2024 International Table Tennis (ITTF) African Championships.
The Nigerian team consisting of Matthew Kuti, Olajide Omotayo and Quadri Aruna won the championship by defeating the Algerian team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In the opening match, Algeria’s Sami Kalov defeated Omotayo 3-2, giving Algeria an early lead, but Aruna equalized with a 3-1 victory over Mirhane Geroli.
Kuti put on a dominant performance with a 3-0 win over Mahaidin Berra in the third round, while Aruna defeated Kerouf in the final round with a decisive score of 3-1.
This confirmed Nigeria’s victory, clinching the title for the first time in seven years since their previous victory in Mauritius in 2018.
Nigeria has won the African Senior Men’s Team title for the first time in 7 years!
The team, inspired by Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo and Kuti Mathieu, defeated Algeria 3-1 in the final to reclaim the title, last won by Mauritius in 2018.#ITTFACamps24 pic.twitter.com/xyRnfIOXsa
— ITTF Africa (@ITTFAfrica) October 14, 2024
However, the Nigerian women’s team lost to Egypt in the final and finished in second place.
Ajoke Ojom, Fatimo Bello and Hope Udoaka lost their rounds, giving Egypt a clean sweep.
Ojomu lost 3-0 to Hanna Ghoda in the first round, and Yousra Helmy defeated Bello 3-2 in the next round in a close contest. Mariam Alkhodaby also dominated Oudaka in the final round, winning 3-0.
