Nigeria’s Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye delivered one of the most remarkable performances of the 23rd African Fencing Championships, pulling off a stunning upset in the men’s individual sabre event.
The 20-year-old defeated top seed and Olympic silver medallist Fares Farjani of Tunisia 5-4 in a tense preliminary-round duel that sent shockwaves through the competition and sparked jubilant celebrations among Nigerian fans.
Akinyosoye, who recently switched allegiance to Nigeria after previously representing England at cadet and junior levels, marked the victory as both a personal breakthrough and a major statement on the continental stage.
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His triumph over the Paris 2024 silver medallist earned him a spot in the knockout rounds.
He maintained his momentum in the round of 16, overpowering Algeria’s Lotfi Ibrihen 15-9.
However, his run ended in the quarterfinals with a 15-8 defeat to Tunisia’s sixth seed Ahmed Ferjani.
Despite the loss, Akinyosoye’s fearless performance earned widespread acclaim and signaled a bright future for the young Nigerian.
Another Nigerian, Inkosi Brou—bronze medallist at the African Junior Championships and grandson of the late NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Dora Akunyili—also impressed.
Brou fought valiantly through the early rounds but fell 15-11 in the round of 16 to Niger Republic’s fifth seed, Evann Girault, narrowly missing out on a medal.
The men’s sabre field opened further after defending champion Farjani was stunned 15-13 by Egypt’s Adham Moataz in the round of 16, ending Tunisia’s dominant run in the discipline.
In the women’s epee, Nigeria’s Sarah Idongesit and Adebodunrin—two of the youngest participants—advanced from the group stages into the knockout rounds. Although both were eliminated in the round of 32 by more experienced opponents from Morocco and Algeria, their performances underlined the growing potential in Nigeria’s emerging fencing program.
The championship continues today with individual events in men’s foil and women’s sabre.
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