After 3 days of riveting competition at the El Menzah Multi-Purpose Stadium in Tunis, Tunisia, the ITTF African Cup 2025 ends with Omar Assar being crowned the Men’s singles champion for a record 7th time, and Hana Goda clinching the Women’s singles crown.
In an all-Egypt final in the women’s, Hana prevailed against her experienced compatriot and multiple time African Cup winner Dina Meshref in a close 4-2 encounter. Trailing 0-2, Hana showed great mental resilience to defend her crown. The familiarity of both players with each other’s game styles was evident, with lots of long rallies and close to the table attacking action.
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The Men’s final went down to the wire, with African stalwarts Omar Assar (Egypt) and Quadri Aruna (Nigeria) battling it out in yet another ITTF African Cup final. Assar successfully thwarted Aruna’s big forehand attacks with clever placements and speed changes, and outlasted Aruna in a marathon 7 game encounter. He was visibly emotional as he clinched the deciding game 11-6 to beat his longtime friend and rival, thus cementing his status as one of Africa’s greatest.
All semi-finalists in both events have also secured a spot at the ITTF Singles World Cup Macao 2025 through the continental route. Omar Assar (Egypt), Quadri Aruna (Nigeria), Abdel-Kader Salifou (Benin) and Ylane Batix (Cameroon) will be Africa’s representatives at Macao in the Men’s singles. In the Women’s singles, Fatimo Bello (Nigeria) joins the top 3 seeded Egyptians Hana Goda, Dina Meshref and Mariam Alhodaby on the Road to Macao.
The Egyptians dominated the women’s singles right from the group stages, living up to their billings in the seedings list, with straight set victories all around bar Alhodaby, who dropped a game against home hope Fadwa Garci in the group stages. The knockout stages also progressed without any 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. In a nail-biting encounter that kept the crowd on edge, Assar edged past the fearless youngster 4-3, clinching the decider 12-10. The victory carried extra weight—Essid had stunned him in their previous showdown 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 enroute to securing his Macao ticket.
Abdel-Kader Salifou turned out to be the story of the tournament, beating 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 up 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’s decision to represent Benin has paid dividends, as he brought all his international experience to the fore in his giant killing spree. He has created history by single handedly putting Benin on the map of African and world table tennis, and will surely 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.
The stage is set for Africa’s finest to proudly carry their continent’s hopes onto the global stage. With the ITTF World Cup 2025 kicking off on April 14, the eight qualifiers will be determined to showcase their skill and resilience against the world’s best. Their journey from Tunis to Macao is more than just a geographic transition—it is a statement of African table tennis’ growing presence on the world stage. They will aim to push themselves to new heights and challenge the best, proving that Africa is a force to be reckoned with. As they step onto the global stage, the entire continent will be watching, hoping to see its champions rise, inspire, and redefine expectations.
