The Moroccan port city of Tangier will host the best of Africa’s table tennis players at the 2026 ITTF Africa Championships, which begin today, October 18, and run until October 25, 2026.
Key Highlights
- The 2026 ITTF Africa Championships run in Tangier from October 18 to 25.
- The event is a qualifier for the 2027 ITTF World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
- Defending champions Egypt face Algeria, Tunisia, hosts Morocco and Madagascar.
- Nigeria is absent after missing the Western Region qualifier in Conakry.
The championship is being hosted by the Royal Moroccan Table Tennis Federation (RMTTF), alongside the International Table Tennis Federation’s African arm, ITTF Africa.
The week-long championship is one of the continent’s premier table tennis competitions and will serve as a qualifying competition for the 2027 ITTF World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
It will give participating players and teams an opportunity to secure places at the global showpiece.
The competition will feature men’s and women’s team events as well as singles, doubles and mixed doubles contests, with medals and continental supremacy at stake across the various categories.
Egypt Defend Title as Nigeria Miss Out
With preparations completed and participating teams arriving in Tangier, attention will initially focus on the team events, where defending champions Egypt will be looking to maintain their dominance of African table tennis.
However, Nigeria’s absence from the championship could alter the dynamics of the competition.
The Nigerian contingent missed out after the country failed to participate in the Western Region tournament held in Conakry, Guinea, earlier this year.
Despite Nigeria’s absence, Egypt cannot afford to be complacent, with Algeria, Tunisia, hosts Morocco and Madagascar among the teams expected to challenge for honours.
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Young Stars to Watch
“What matters to us as a continental federation is the well-being of the players. We need to put in a good environment for them to perform to their best, and I think that has been achieved.
“We cannot wait to see the tournament birthing another set of superstars,” an official said.
He also highlighted the growing quality of young African table tennis players, expressing optimism that the championship would provide another platform for emerging talents to announce themselves on the continental stage.
According to him, the presence of promising youngsters makes this year’s competition particularly exciting, especially following their impressive displays at the African Youth Championships in Accra, Ghana.
Their participation is expected to add another dimension to the tournament, as established stars seek to defend their positions while emerging players aim to challenge the continent’s leading names.
With the stage set in Tangier, the 2026 ITTF Africa Championships promise a week of intense competition as Africa’s leading table tennis nations battle for continental glory and qualification opportunities for the 2027 World Championships.
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