Lagos: Nigeria’s men’s team reclaimed their crown at the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championships with a commanding victory over C´te d’Ivoire in Thursday’s final. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four-day championship is ongoing at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nigeria’s women’s team, led by Ajoke Ojomu, continued to demonstrate regional superiority by defeating Benin Republic, Ghana, and Guinea to retain their title. This championship also acts as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, which will take place later this year in Kigali, Rwanda.
Having lost the title to Togo in 2024, the Nigerian men returned with renewed determination. Playing on home soil in Lagos, they smoothly advanced through the group stage, losing only one set to C´te d’Ivoire. Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati, and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai showcased strong performances from the quarterfinals, culminating in a 3-0 sweep over C´te d’Ivoire in the final.
The singles competition is set to resume on Friday, with high-stakes matches anticipated. Defending men’s champion Oba Kizito of C´te d’Ivoire is expected to face stiff competition from Nigeria’s Taiwo Mati and Matthew Kuti. Competitors from Togo and Benin Republic are also predicted to vie for medals in the singles category.
Guinea’s Maret Camara impressed the audience by topping Group 9 with a 3-0 win over Ghana’s James Marfo. Nigeria’s sole singles loss occurred when Matthew Fabunmi narrowly fell 3-2 to Benin Republic’s Atanda Adou in Group 11. In the women’s singles, Nigeria’s Ajoke Ojomu, Kabirat Ayoola, Aishat Rabiu, and others all finished at the top of their groups to advance to the knockout rounds.
NAN reports that the championship concludes on Saturday, July 19, with titles to be decided in both men’s and women’s singles. Ten countries, including hosts Nigeria, are participating in this four-event regional tournament. The top three teams in each event will qualify for the continental finals in Rwanda this October.
