Nigeria and Egypt played with ease in their group matches of table tennis event at the 12th African Games holding in Rabat, Morocco.
As the top seeds in men and women events, Kenya and Madagascar were no match to the Nigerians, while the Egyptian men also thumbed Eritrea and Congo DRC to top group A and B. They are expected to get a bye to the quarterfinals stage.
Just like it happened in the men’s event, so it was in the women category, as the Nigerian ladies, led by six-time Olympian, Olufunke Oshonaike, walloped Congo Brazzaville and Uganda 3-0, while Egypt also inflicted same defeat on Morocco and Kenya to progress to the last eight of the competition. But, the order was tilted in Group D of the men’s event as unseeded Senegal upset number four seed, Algeria 3-2 to top the group, while Togo also beat Ghana by same margin to emerge as the top team in Group E.
The battle for the continental sole slot in the men and women events for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games continued yesterday as teams competed for places in the quarterfinals, while the semifinals and final hold tomorrow with winners qualifying for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
For African women singles defending champion, Dina Meshref of Egypt, nothing can stop the Egytpain from clinching the title.
”I think it is a bit tougher because this is the Olympic Games qualification event. It was not like that in previous editions and that is what I think makes it more competitive.”
BY: FIRDAUSI MUSA DANTSOHO
