Leading the quest for qualification to the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London, Nigeria and Egypt will headline the continent’s finest teams as they gather in Tunis, Tunisia, for the 2025 ITTF African Championships.
Scheduled from October 12 to 19, this tournament is pivotal for African teams aiming to secure their place on the world stage.
The 2026 World Championships in London will commemorate a century since the event’s inception in 1926, marking a significant milestone by returning to its birthplace.
Serving as the official African qualifying event, the Tunis competition will determine which men’s and women’s teams earn the coveted spots at the sport’s premier global contest.
In the men’s category, Nigeria, a dominant force in West Africa, and Egypt, a leading power in North Africa, will compete alongside Tunisia, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Benin Republic, DR Congo, and Morocco.
The women’s lineup includes Egypt, Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Madagascar, DR Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, Angola, Algeria, and host nation Tunisia.
As the tournament progresses, the intensity will peak in the final three days, spotlighting the fierce rivalry between Nigeria and Egypt as they vie for qualification.
The ITTF has announced that London 2026 will expand to feature 64 teams in both men’s and women’s events, up from the previous 40-team format. This enlargement reflects the growing global enthusiasm for table tennis and allows more countries to compete at the highest level.
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The championship will be hosted at two renowned venues in London. The initial rounds will take place at the Copper Box Arena from April 28 to May 1, followed by the main competition at Wembley Arena from May 2 to 10, where the world’s top players will battle for supremacy.
Each gender’s competition will feature 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, engaging in round-robin matches to determine advancement. A notable change in the format introduces Stage 1a and Stage 1b:
Stage 1a comprises the top eight teams (the seven highest-ranked plus the host nation), split into two groups. All teams in this stage automatically progress, with group outcomes deciding their seeding positions.
Stage 1b involves the remaining 56 teams divided into 14 groups. The winners of these groups, along with the six best runners-up, qualify directly. The other eight second-placed teams face off in a preliminary knockout round, with four victors completing the 32-team main draw.
From the opening serve at the Copper Box Arena to the final rally at Wembley, London 2026 is set to honor both the current global prowess in table tennis and the extraordinary legacy that began in the same city a hundred years ago.
