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Nigeria Table Tennis Federation.....
Nigeria’s men’s team delivered a dramatic performance at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, narrowly defeating Saudi Arabia 3–2 in their opening Group 15 match in London.
The encounter, played on Table 10, proved to be a fiercely contested battle that went down to the final match.
Nigeria took an early lead through Quadri Aruna, who produced a strong comeback to beat Ali Alkhadrawi 3–1 (10–12, 11–8, 11–4, 11–6). However, Saudi Arabia quickly responded as Abdulaziz Shulaybe dominated Matthew Kuti in straight sets to level the tie.
Momentum swung back to Nigeria when Olajide Omotayo secured a convincing 3–1 victory over Salem Alsuwailem, putting Nigeria ahead 2–1.
The Saudis refused to back down. In a tense fourth match, Alkhadrawi returned to defeat Kuti 3–2, forcing a decisive fifth match with the overall score tied at 2–2.
With everything on the line, Aruna stepped up once again. In a gripping five-set contest against Shulaybe, he held his nerve to win 3–2 (11–2, 8–11, 11–5, 8–11, 11–6), sealing a crucial victory for Nigeria.
The win gives Nigeria a strong start in Group 15, which also features Hong Kong, China and South Africa. The team will look to build on this momentum as the tournament progresses.
It was a match defined by resilience and composure, with Nigeria proving their ability to deliver under pressure on the world stage.
