Dakar 2026: Kuti, Ojo Crash Out As Nigeria Lose Table Tennis Medal Hopes

Team Nigeria’s campaign in the table tennis event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games ended on Monday after Matthew Kuti and Favour Ojo suffered defeats in their respective final preliminary-round matches.

Kuti, Nigeria’s deputy captain, needed a victory against Italy’s Francesco Travesan to secure qualification for the men’s singles knockout stage but lost 3-0 to bring his campaign to an end.

The African Youth Cup champion had revived his qualification hopes on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia’s Youssef Aidli, having earlier suffered a 3-0 defeat to Hong Kong’s Li Ki Ho.

However, his defeat to Travesan proved decisive as he failed to secure enough victories to finish among the top two players in Group C who advanced to the knockout rounds.

Ojo also failed to progress in the women’s singles after suffering her third defeat in the group stage.

The Nigerian lost to her opponent from Hong Kong on Monday, ending her hopes of reaching the knockout phase of the competition.

The tournament’s format allows only the top two players in each group to advance to the next round, leaving both Nigerian representatives outside the qualification places.

Their exits mean Nigeria will have no further representation in the table tennis competition, ending the country’s hopes of winning a medal in the event at the continental youth sporting spectacle.

The early elimination represents a setback for Team Nigeria, particularly for Kuti, who arrived in Dakar following his success at the African Youth Cup and was among the country’s medal prospects in table tennis.