By VIVIAN AHANMISI

Nigeria and Egypt, will lead the charge for qualification to the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London, United Kingdom, as Africa’s top teams converge on Tunis, Tunisia, for the 2025 ITTF African Championships.

The event is scheduled to take place between Oct. 12 and Oct. 19.

London 2026 marks a historic centenary celebration, returning the World Championships to the city where it all began in 1926.

The Tunis tournament serves as the official African qualification event, with the top-performing men’s and women’s teams securing their place on the sport’s grandest stage.

In the men’s division, Nigeria, West Africa’s dominant force and Egypt, the North African powerhouse will be joined by Tunisia, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Benin Republic, DR Congo, and Morocco.

The women’s category features Egypt, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Madagascar, DR Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, Angola, Algeria, and host nation Tunisia.

With London in sight, the battle for qualification will intensify during the final three days of the continental tournament, where all eyes will be on Nigeria and Egypt, as they renew their rivalry.

According to the ITTF, London 2026 will feature 64 teams in both the men’s and women’s events, an expansion from the previous 40-team format.

This growth reflects the global rise of table tennis and opens the door for more nations to compete at the highest level.

The tournament will unfold across two iconic London venues, as The Copper Box Arena will host the opening rounds from April 28 to May 1, while the main draw will hold at Wembley Arena from May 2 to May 10, where the world’s elite will compete for the ultimate prize.

Each gender will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, with round-robin matches determining progression with the introduction of Stage 1a and Stage 1b as key innovations in the format.

Stage 1a features the top eight teams (seven highest-ranked plus host nation) split into two groups. All eight automatically advance, with group results determining seedings.

Stage 1b includes the remaining 56 teams across 14 groups – the 14 group winners and six best second-placed teams qualify directly.

The remaining eight second-placed teams will enter a preliminary knockout round, with four winners completing the 32-team main draw.

The first serve at the Copper Box to the final point at Wembley, promises to celebrate not only the present strength of global table tennis but also the remarkable journey that began in the same city a century ago. (NAN)

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