Saleh Predicts End of Egypt, Nigeria's Table Tennis Dominance

Ahmed Saleh, the head coach of the Egyptian national junior team, has declared that the long-standing dominance of Egypt and Nigeria in African table tennis is nearing its end. His comments follow the 2026 ITTF Africa Youth Championships held in Accra, Ghana, where he observed the emergence of new talents from countries such as Uganda, South Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, and Togo.

Saleh stated, “I can categorically tell you that the end is near for the dominance of Egypt and Nigeria in African table tennis,” highlighting the competitive nature of the championships where gold medals were shared among five nations: Egypt, Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, and Uganda. He noted Uganda's unique defensive style as particularly challenging.

Saleh emphasized that the competitive landscape is changing, with no team guaranteed dominance in the next two years, indicating a significant improvement in the standards of play across the continent.