By Victor Kanayo
Africa’s leading table tennis stars, Dina Meshref, Hana Goda, and Quadri Aruna, made a strong impression in their group stage matches at the 2025 ITTF World Cup, currently taking place at the Galaxy Arena in Macao, China.
Egyptian veteran Dina Meshref kicked off her eighth World Cup campaign in style, defeating Singapore’s Zhu Chengzhu 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11).
Rising star Hana Goda, the reigning ITTF Africa Cup champion, delivered a flawless performance against local favourite Seak Hui Li, winning 4-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8) with ease.
In a thrilling rematch of their ITTF Africa Cup clash, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna overcame Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8). Despite trailing in parts of the match, Aruna kept his composure to seal the win.
“A first match in such events is always difficult, and I’m happy I managed to remain calm,” Aruna said. “Getting a 2-0 lead gave me some confidence. He did come back in the third and fourth games, but I managed to hold on. I’m really happy and satisfied with my performance.”
Salifou, gracious in defeat, said: “Congratulations to Aruna for a good win. This is only my second competition since I started representing Benin, and it’s my first on the international circuit in five years, so that probably showed. I had chances, especially in the fourth game when I was leading 8-6, but credit to Aruna. I’ll keep giving my best and focus on the next match.”
Elsewhere, other African players faced tougher outings.
QuadrEgypt’s Mohamed El-Beiali lost 4-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-2, 11-8) to Chinese prodigy Huang Youzheng. The match featured the tournament’s first-ever use of the Table Tennis Review (TTR) system, which upheld a foul call against El-Beiali.
Cameroon’s Ylane Batix showcased moments of brilliance but was ultimately defeated 4-0 by South Korea’s An Jaehyun.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Mariam Alhodaby was beaten 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7, 11-2) by Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem in a spirited match that drew enthusiastic support from the crowd.
The tournament continues with over 96 players vying for the top prize, promising more thrilling action in the days ahead.
