Nigeria table tennis star and African Cup men’s singles defending champion, Quadri Aruna, is set to defend his title at the 2025 tournament in Tunisia, where he will also vie for a spot at the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao, China.
The 2025 ITTF African Cup will be held in Tunis from February 25 to 27 at the 5,500-capacity El-Menzah Sports Palace and the semi-finalists in both the men’s and women’s events will secure their places at the expanded ITTF World Cup which comes up in April.
Aruna is among the continent’s top stars billed to take part in the first tournament of the ITTF Africa calendar and will renew his long-time rivalry with Egypt’s Omar Assar.
Aruna, the most decorated player in the tournament’s history, has won the title five times (2024, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2009). Assar has also claimed the title five times (2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2015), but Aruna has appeared in more finals.
Other notable players include Benin’s Abdel-Kabir Salifou, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, and Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, who will be looking to cause upsets.
On the women’s side, nine-time champion Dina Meshref will defend her crown against rising star and compatriot Hana Goda, the continent’s number-one ranked player, and 2024 runner-up Mariam Alhodaby.
The ITTF Africa Cup 2025 will feature a preliminary round on the opening day, followed by knockout stages on the final two days.
