Team Nigeria has reclaimed its dominance in West African table tennis by winning the 2025 ITTF Africa West Regional Championship, which concluded on Thursday, July 17, in Lagos.
The Nigerian men’s team stormed back to the top after narrowly missing the title to Togo in 2024. On home soil, the trio of Matthew Kuti, Taiwo Mati, and Abdulbasit Abdulfatai displayed remarkable form, cruising through the group stage with ease, conceding just one set to Côte d’Ivoire.
They wrapped up their campaign in style with a resounding 3-0 victory over the Ivorians in the final.
In the women’s team category, Nigeria maintained its regional supremacy. Led by Ajoke Ojomu, the women’s team recorded a flawless run, dispatching Benin Republic, Ghana, and Guinea to retain their crown.
The Nigerian women were the only team in the championship to finish the group stage and knockouts without dropping a single match.
The four-day tournament also served as a qualifier for the 2025 African Championships, which will be held in Kigali, Rwanda later this year. The top three teams in each event will book tickets to the continental finals.
As team events concluded, attention now shifts to the singles competitions, which continue on Friday, July 18.
Defending men’s singles champion “Oba Oba Kizito” of Côte d’Ivoire faces a tough field, including Nigeria’s Taiwo Mati and Matthew Kuti, both of whom are past champions. Other strong contenders have emerged from Togo and Benin Republic.
In the early singles rounds, Guinea’s Maret Camara impressed with a clean 3-0 win over Ghana’s James Marfo to top Group 9.
However, Nigeria’s Matthew Fabunmi suffered the country’s only singles setback so far, narrowly losing 3-2 to Benin Republic’s Atanda Adou in Group 11.
In the women’s singles, all six Nigerian players, Ajoke Ojomu, Kabirat Ayoola, Aishat Rabiu, Favour Ojo, Maryam Ahmed, and Sukurat Aiyelabegan, topped their respective groups, setting up strong prospects for an all-Nigerian finish in the knockout rounds.
The championship concludes on Saturday, July 19, with finals in both men’s and women’s singles. Ten nations participated in this edition, making it one of the most competitive West African championships in recent years.
