Records at stake as Assar, Goda headline 2026 ITTF Africa Cup

Egyptian stars Omar Assar and Hana Goda will put their impressive Africa Cup records on the line when the 2026 ITTF Africa Cup gets underway in Benghazi, Libya, from February 7 to 9.

The annual continental championship, which also serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 ITTF World Cup, is organised by ITTF Africa in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation and hosted by the Libyan Table Tennis Federation at the iconic Al Nasr Sports Club.

Men’s top seed Assar arrives in Benghazi as the most successful player in Africa Cup history, having claimed six men’s singles titles in Yaoundé 2015, Nairobi 2018, Lagos 2019, Lagos 2022, Nairobi 2023 and Tunis 2025. His closest challenger, Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna, has won five titles, including the 2024 edition in Kigali.

Assar has remained unbeaten at the Africa Cup since his semifinal defeat to Aruna in Tunis in 2020, going on to secure back-to-back victories in Lagos, Nairobi and Tunis. In Libya, he is expected to renew his rivalry with Aruna, while also facing a growing challenge from compatriot Youssef Abdelaziz, who continues to establish himself among Africa’s elite.

In the women’s singles, top seed Goda continues to build a remarkable career that began when she captured her first Africa Cup title at just 14 years old in Lagos 2022, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament’s history.

The Egyptian prodigy stumbled at the 2024 edition in Kigali, losing 4–0 in the semifinals to fellow Egyptian Mariam Alhodaby, but responded emphatically in Tunis 2025 by reclaiming the title with a victory over Dina Meshref, the competition’s most decorated player with nine titles.

Now 18, Goda is aiming to follow in Meshref’s footsteps by adding to her growing collection of continental honours. She will again face strong opposition from Meshref and Alhodaby, as well as Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello, a finalist at Lagos 2022. Tunisia’s Ela Saidi, who impressed at the 2025 edition, is also expected to be among the leading contenders.

With Africa’s top table tennis players converging on Benghazi, the 2026 ITTF Africa Cup is set to deliver intense competition and high drama. For Assar and Goda, the tournament represents more than another title defence—it is another opportunity to cement their legacies as the defining faces of African table tennis.

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