By Victor Kanayo
African players including Egypt’s Dina Meshref, Omar Assar, Hana Goda, and Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna failed to advance to the second stage of the 2025 ITTF World Cup in Macao.
Needing a win to secure their spots in the second round, Omar Assar was the first to face defeat, losing 3-1 to South Korea’s Jaehyun.
Despite his efforts, Assar, the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion, was unable to overcome the Asian star. Jaehyun acknowledged the difficulty of the match, stating, “I played well today. Assar is an excellent player, so I did a lot of pre-match preparations, and it seems I executed them well.”
Dina Meshref also put up a spirited fight against China’s Man Kuai but ultimately fell 3-1.
Kuai praised Meshref’s abilities, saying, “It’s our first encounter, and my opponent is a leftie with great strength. At the beginning of the first game, I played a little too cautiously, which gave Meshref a huge opportunity to win. After losing game one, I didn’t give up and focused on each point.”
Hana Goda faced European superstar Sofia Polcanova and, despite a strong performance, was defeated 3-1.
Polcanova commended Goda, saying, “Today was a very difficult match. Hana Goda is a very good player, very promising. She’s still so young and has many good results. I had to fight for every ball. In the end, I think I managed my nerves quite well, and the first set was very important to win. I also like her very much; we practise a lot on tour, and she is very passionate about table tennis. I hope she continues to be her best, and a bright future is ahead of her.”
Quadri Aruna was the last African player to exit the tournament. Despite having an edge in the first two sets against Sweden’s Anton Källberg, Aruna fell 4-0, failing to advance to the second stage.
