Team Nigeria’s quest for their first gold medal at the 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana suffered a double blow on Friday.
The country’s table tennis stars succumbed to the superior firepower of their Egyptian counterparts; losing in the finals of both the men’s and women’s team events.
The North African nation spectacularly defended their team titles at the Accra International Conference Centre.
In the men’s final, Omar Assar, Youssef Abdelaziz, and Mohamed El-Beiali maintained their perfect record, overcoming the Nigerian trio of Olajide Omotayo, Quadri Aruna, and Taiwo Mati.
Assar opened the match with a convincing 3-0 victory over Omotayo. Abdelaziz then dethroned the dominant Aruna with a 3-1 win, before El-Beiali sealed the deal with a 3-1 triumph against Mati, securing a comprehensive 3-0 victory for Egypt.
The women’s team followed suit, extending their unbeaten streak in the competition that dates back to 2011. Dina Meshref, Hana Goda, and Mariam Alhodaby proved too strong for Nigeria’s Offiong Edem, Hope Udoaka, and Fatimo Bello, securing a dominant 3-0 win and retaining their title.
Meshref has spearheaded this Egyptian reign since dethroning Nigeria at the 2011 Maputo Games, solidifying their position as the continent’s best women’s team.
READ ALSO: Table Tennis: Nigeria, Egypt clash in African Games final
Historically, Nigeria held the upper hand, claiming the women’s title seven times between 1978 and 2007.
However, Egypt’s dominance in the women’s event began in 2011 and now continues.
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