Nigeria and Egypt will spearhead Africa’s challenge for places at the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships in London as the continent’s best converge in Tunis for the 2025 ITTF African Championships, taking place from 12–19 October.
London 2026 marks the centenary edition of the World Championships, returning to the city where the tournament first began in 1926. The Tunis showpiece doubles as the official African qualifying event, with the top-performing men’s and women’s teams booking their tickets to the sport’s biggest stage.
In the men’s competition, perennial powerhouses Nigeria and Egypt will be joined by Tunisia, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, DR Congo and Morocco.
The women’s draw features an equally competitive field, with Egypt, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Ethiopia, Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Uganda, Madagascar, DR Congo, Cameroon, South Africa, Angola, Algeria and host nation Tunisia all in contention.
All eyes will once again be on Nigeria and Egypt, whose long-running rivalry has defined African table tennis for decades. With London in sight, the battle for qualification is expected to reach fever pitch during the final three days of the tournament.
According to the ITTF, London 2026 will expand to include 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams, up from 40 at the last edition. The Copper Box Arena will stage the opening rounds from 28 April to 1 May, before the main draw takes place at Wembley Arena from 2–10 May. The competition format will feature 16 groups of four in each gender, with the introduction of Stage 1a and Stage 1b to determine progression into the knockout rounds.
From the first serve in Tunis to the final point at Wembley, the road to London 2026 promises not only high-stakes competition but also a celebration of 100 years of World Championship table tennis.
