Nigeria Edge Egypt to Retain U-19 Team Title

Nigeria produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and successfully retain the boys’ U-19 team title at the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships in Accra, denying the North Africans a clean sweep of the team events.

The defending champions appeared to be heading for defeat after Egypt won the opening two matches of the final to take a commanding 2-0 lead. However, Nigeria refused to give up and fought back in dramatic fashion.

Sultan Agunbiade started the revival with a crucial victory to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Matthew Kuti, who had earlier suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat to Yassin Gaber, responded brilliantly by beating Abdelmalk Elsayed 3-1 to level the contest.

The decisive match saw Quadri Atunwon face Gaber in a thrilling encounter. Atunwon looked set for victory after opening an 8-2 lead in the fifth and deciding game. However, Gaber battled back to level the score at 8-8 before earning two championship points at 10-8.

With the title hanging in the balance, Quadri Atunwon displayed outstanding composure by saving both match points before winning the tense decider 16-14, securing the boys’ U-19 crown for Nigeria.

Despite that defeat, Egypt dominated the team competition by winning the other three titles. Nigeria’s boys’ U-15 team reached the final after defeating hosts Ghana 3-2 in the semi-finals but lost 3-0 to Egypt.

Egypt also reclaimed the girls’ U-15 title with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia and successfully defended the girls’ U-19 title by beating Algeria 3-0.

Although Egypt claimed three of the four team trophies, Nigeria ensured they did not complete a clean sweep, thanks to Quadri Atunwon’s unforgettable performance.

Can Nigeria build on this success and challenge Egypt for more titles in the individual events?