Nigeria will be absent from the team events of the 2026 International Table Tennis Africa (ITTFA) Championships scheduled for Oct. 18 to 26 in Tangier, Morocco, after failing to participate in the zonal qualifiers.
The absence follows Nigeria’s withdrawal from the regional qualifiers in Conakry, Guinea, earlier this year due to financial constraints and rising airfares. Under ITTF Africa rules, teams that do not participate in the zonal qualifiers are ineligible for the continental championships.
Defending champions Egypt will headline the team events, alongside strong contenders including Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Angola and Cameroon. The competition will be held at the 10,000-capacity Salle Omnisports Arena in Tangier.
However, Nigerian players will still feature in the singles events. Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo qualified through their world rankings, while Matthew Kuti and Sultan Agunbiade received wildcards. In the women’s singles, Fatimo Bello and Sukurat Aiyelabegan qualified through rankings, while Kabirat Ayoola, Favour Ojo and Aziza Sezuo earned wildcards.
The singles events will also serve as qualifiers for the 2027 World Championships in Astana, providing Nigerian players with an opportunity to compete for continental honours and qualification places despite the country’s absence from the team events.
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