Nigerian fencers gear up for African Championships

Nigerian fencers are getting ready for a tough battle at the 2026 African Senior Fencing Championships in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The competition will run from May 31 to June 6. They will compete against some of the best fencers in Africa.

In the men’s sabre event, Brou Inkosi, Phoenix Olen, and Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye will face tough opponents. They will meet Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist Fares Ferjani from Tunisia and defending champion Ahmed Hesham from Egypt. This event is expected to be one of the most exciting parts of the tournament.

Akinyosoye leads Nigeria’s team and is ranked 65th in the world. He was the best performer for Nigeria at the 2025 championships held in Lagos. He will be joined by 18-year-old Inkosi, who is ranked 106th globally and is competing in his second senior continental championships. Olen is making his debut in the tournament and is eager to represent Nigeria well when the competition starts on Tuesday, June 2.

Diekolola Johnson and Leonard Chizim Aninyei will compete in the men’s epee event. They will battle with 44 other fencers for a chance to win a medal. The women’s team will include Adebodunrin Thomas, who is the only female fencer representing Nigeria. She will compete in the individual epee event.

Moreover, Nigeria’s men’s epee team will also compete in the team events. This five-day tournament is sanctioned by the International Fencing Federation and will bring together the top fencers from across Africa.

Before leaving, national coach Ibrahim Alogba spoke about the team. He said the squad is a mix of young talent and experienced fencers. He believes the Nigerian fencers can do well and make a strong impact in the championships.

The tournament will see world-class competitors like Kenya’s Alexandra Ndolo and Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed and Mohamed Hamza. They will all be fighting to defend their titles and earn important ranking points.

Countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria will join others, including Niger, Benin, Kenya, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Togo, Nigeria, and the hosts Côte d’Ivoire. They will compete in individual and team events in epee, sabre, and foil.