Nigeria seal 2026 ITTF world championships spot after strong showing in Tunis

Nigeria’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams have booked their tickets to the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London after impressive outings at the ongoing 2025 ITTF Africa Championships in Tunis, Tunisia, Sport360NG reports.

The three-time African champions were in dominant form, cruising to back-to-back 3-0 victories over Cameroon and South Africa in Group B to confirm their qualification for the global tournament scheduled to take place from April 28 to May 10, 2026.

In the men’s category, traditional heavyweights Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Algeria all secured qualification after topping their respective groups. Egypt were the first to advance, defeating Togo and Ivory Coast with ease, before Nigeria followed suit with commanding wins in Group B. Morocco also progressed after victories over Cameroon and South Africa and will face Nigeria to decide the group’s top spot.

Host nation Tunisia and Algeria completed the list of African qualifiers after dominating Groups C and D respectively.

The women’s event followed a similar pattern, with Egypt, Nigeria, and Algeria booking their places in London. They will be joined by Uganda, whose youthful team made history by qualifying for the World Championships for the first time.

Next year’s World Team Championships in London will be a landmark edition, celebrating 100 years since the establishment of both the tournament and the International Table Tennis Federation. The centenary competition will feature 64 teams per gender, 52 qualifiers from continental events, 11 through world rankings as of November 2025, and one automatic slot reserved for host nation England.