Team Nigeria’s campaign in the U-19 singles events at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana, came to an end on Monday after the country’s representatives, Agunbiade Sultan, Michael Fabunmi, and Kuti Mathew all suffered quarter-final defeats.
Despite missing out on the medal rounds, the Nigerian youngsters earned praise for their spirited performances throughout the tournament.
The team displayed resilience and competitiveness against some of Africa’s finest junior table tennis players.
In the U-19 Boys’ Singles, Nigeria’s hopes of a semi-final appearance were dashed after Agunbiade Sultan, Michael Fabunmi, and Kuti Mathew all were eliminated.
The results confirmed an all-Egyptian semi-final between Gaber Yasin and ElSayed AbdelMalk, while Tunisia also secured guaranteed representation in the final with Wassim Essid taking on compatriot Essid Amir in the other last-four clash.
In the U-19 Girls’ Singles, Uganda’s giant-killer Jemimah Nakawala advanced to face South Africa’s Rochica Sunday, while Egypt’s Habiba Elbasoumy will battle Algeria’s Morice Tania for the remaining place in the final.
Although Nigeria will not be represented in the U-19 singles semi-finals, attention now shifts to the U-15 events.
The country still has realistic hopes of finishing the championships with medals.
Meanwhile, the tournament witnessed a historic moment for the host nation as Ghana ended a 39-year wait for a continental table tennis gold medal.
The Ghanaian U-15 Mixed Doubles pair of Israel Aklie and Joanita Borteye delighted the home crowd by defeating Tunisia’s Amori Amine and Ela Saidi in the final to claim the title.
Coached by Robert Amartey, the duo produced a composed and disciplined display to secure Ghana’s first gold medal at a major African table tennis championship since 1987, when Patricia Offei and Patience Opokuah won the women’s doubles title at the All-Africa Games in Nairobi, Kenya.
The landmark victory marked the end of nearly four decades without continental gold for Ghana and underlined the progress of the country’s youth development programme.
For Team Nigeria, however, the focus remains on ending the championships on a positive note, with its promising U-15 players expected to continue the nation’s medal chase before the curtain falls on the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra.
