By Flinster Austin
Published on 2024-03-09 02:26:16
Team Nigeria faced another disappointing defeat at the hands of Egypt in the table tennis team event at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana. Just two days after losing two gold medals to Egypt in the singles events, Nigerian players failed to secure a victory in the team event finals. The matches took place just hours before the opening ceremony of the games.
Many fans had hoped for a different outcome in the team event finals, especially after Nigeria’s loss in the singles titles. However, it was clear that Egypt once again proved to be the dominant force in table tennis in Africa. The Egyptian team, consisting of players like Omar Assar, Youssef Abdelaziz, and Mohamed El-Beiali, proved too strong for Nigeria’s trio of Olajide Omotayo, Quadri Aruna, and Taiwo Mati. The Egyptians maintained their unbeaten streak in the event with a clean sweep victory against the Nigerian team.
In the male team event, Assar defeated Omotayo 3-0, Abdelaziz beat Aruna 3-1, and El-Beiali secured another 3-1 victory against Mati. The Egyptian female team, led by players like Dina Meshref, Hana Goda, and Mariam Alhodaby, continued their dominance in the women’s team event. They defeated Nigeria’s trio of Offiong Edem, Hope Udoaka, and Fatimo Bello with a scoreline of 3-0 to retain their title at the games.
Egypt has been ruling the table tennis scene in Africa since 2011 when they dethroned Nigeria at the African Games in Mozambique. The Egyptian female team, led by Meshref, has maintained their reign as the best female team in the continent. In contrast, Nigeria had previously won the women’s title seven times between 1978 and 2007 before Egypt’s dominance began in 2011.
Throughout the tournament, both Nigeria and Egypt lived up to expectations by dominating their opponents from the group stages to the finals. In the semifinals, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri guided the team to a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Tunisia. Meanwhile, the Egyptian team, as defending champions, faced a tough challenge from the Algerian side led by Mehdi Boloussa but emerged victorious to secure their spot in the final.
In the women’s event, Nigeria had a smooth journey to the final with a convincing 3-0 win over South Africa in the semifinal. Egypt’s female team, like their male counterparts, had a comfortable path to the final. This defeat in Accra marks the second consecutive loss to Egypt since their last meeting at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, where Egypt also emerged victorious in the men’s event.
Overall, Egypt’s dominance in table tennis in Africa has been evident in recent years, especially in the women’s event. While Nigeria has had its fair share of success in the past, it is clear that Egypt currently holds the upper hand in the sport on the continent.
