ITTF Africa Cup: Aruna, Meshref begin title defence on good note
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Defending champions Quadri Aruna of Nigeria and Dina Meshref of Egypt, along with Egypt’s Omar Assar and Hana Goda, showcased flawless performances at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Aruna dominated his preliminary matches, securing convincing 3-0 victories against Tunisia’s Myshaal Sabhi and Benin Republic’s Abdel-Kader Salifou.
Meshref also continued her dominance, smoothly advancing to the second round.
Assar, Goda, and Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo all secured their spots in the knockout round.
Read Also: Aruna reaches semifinal in Doha, to battle Harimoto
Meanwhile, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu stunned the Tunisian fans with a 3-1 victory over local favorite Wassim Essid.
In a surprising turn of events, Egypt’s third seed Mohamed El-Beiali suffered a 3-0 defeat against Madagascar’s Antonie Razafinarivo.
Ethiopia’s Darara Mokonen Dufera, the only top seed to exit in the first round, bowed out after double defeats.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the semifinalists who will qualify for the ITTF World Cup, with the decisive matches taking place on Wednesday, February 26.
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