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Quadri Aruna de Nigeria, the last competitor of Africa, retired in a devastating way after a ruthless defeat in the straight sets against Anton Kallberg of Sweden in a discouraging ending for Africa in the ITTF 2025 World Cup, in Macao.
The 4–0 score (14–12, 13–11, 11–9, 11–2) masked what was, at first, a very disputed battle.
However, as the games advanced, Kallberg’s tactical precision unravels the rhythm of aruna, leaving the visibly frustrated Nigerian star when the last African flag was reduced in the global tournament.
“It is always a difficult game against Quadri. We have played several times recently and we know each other well,” Kallberg admitted after his victory.
“It’s really strong with a big derloque, so I had to be careful. I hit him in the past, so I had a clear idea of the tactics I wanted to use.”
Kallberg, who reached the quarterfinals in the previous edition of the tournament, seemed almost surgical in his focus.
The defeat ends Aruna’s career in Macao, but also stands out in the widest struggles of Africa at the elite level of global table tennis.
The 2025 edition has been particularly brutal for African representatives, all of whom crashed in the group stage.
Omar Assar of Egypt, the best classified player of the continent and current champion of the ITTF Africa Cup, was surpassed by Jeahyun An Korea del Sur in a 3-1 defeat.
While in the woman’s raffle, Africa’s hopes also vanished. The veteran Egyptian star Dina Meshref was overcome 3–1 by the man of China Kuai.
Despite a promising beginning that saw her snatch the first set, Kuai quickly adapted and praised the unique style of Meshref.
The focus now focuses on the next African championships and African games of 2025, tornations that could serve as arches of redemption or gloomy reminders of a wide gap on the world stage.
