Nigeria's Matthew Kuti revived his hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the men's singles table tennis event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with a 3-1 victory over Tunisia's Youssef Aidli on Sunday. The encounter, held at the Dakar Expo Centre in Senegal, saw the Nigerian bounce back from an opening-day defeat to secure vital points in Group C.
Following a difficult start where he suffered a 3-0 loss (11-4, 11-4, 11-3) against Hong Kong's Li Ki Ho due to aggressive play, Kuti responded strongly against Aidli. He claimed the first two games before the Tunisian narrowed the gap by taking the third. Kuti ultimately regained control in the fourth game to seal the match with set scores of 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7.
How does this impact his qualification chances?
The result leaves the Nigerian needing one more victory to secure qualification for the knockout rounds. The top two players from the four-man group will advance to the next phase, with Kuti's final group fixture scheduled against Italy's Francesco Travesan.
Reflecting on his performance after the match, the reigning African Youth Cup champion acknowledged the high level of competition at the Games.
"It has not been easy for us here in Dakar because everybody is at their best and we are all aiming for the knockout stage. I hope I can raise my game against the Italian," Kuti stated.
What happened in other events?
Meanwhile, Kuti and his compatriot, Favour Ojo, exited the mixed doubles competition following a defeat to their Thai opponents in the round of 16. Ojo also faced elimination in the women's singles category after a 3-1 loss to Egypt's Yara Elbadawy, which followed her initial group-stage setback.
With Ojo's campaign concluded, attention shifts fully to Kuti's decisive encounter against Travesan as the remaining Nigerian table tennis hopeful looks to advance further in Senegal.