Morocco retains African Taekwondo crown

By Maxwell Kumoye

Morocco reaffirmed its status as Africa’s taekwondo powerhouse by winning the African Taekwondo Championships for a third consecutive time, while Nigeria recorded one of its best-ever performances at the continental showpiece with a historic seven-medal haul in Bamako, Mali.

The championship, held from May 29 to 31, attracted more than 300 athletes from 32 countries, who battled for continental honours across various categories.

Morocco once again dominated proceedings, finishing top in both the men’s and women’s divisions to successfully defend the title it has held since 2022.

The North Africans secured six gold medals through Soufiane El Asbi in the men’s +87kg category, Haitam Zaghouti in the men’s -80kg division, Mohamed Amine Dhaheri in the men’s -68kg class, Amina Dehhaoui in the women’s -57kg category, Farah Touzani in the women’s -46kg division and Oumaima El Bouchti in the women’s -53kg event.

Morocco’s impressive campaign was further strengthened by three silver medals won by Nezha El Assal, Hajiba Harakat and Nada Laaraj, while Fatima Zahra Nems, Khadija Lamdarar, Lamia El Bekour, Mariam Enniya, Abdelhamid Abdouni and Zakaria Lakhouir contributed six bronze medals.

The country’s dominance was also reflected in the individual awards, with Moroccan official Naima Belach named Best Referee. Morocco’s Badr Smaili claimed the Best Men’s Coach award, while Hakima El Meslahy was honoured as Best Women’s Coach after guiding the female team to another continental triumph.

Despite Morocco’s overwhelming success, Nigeria emerged as one of the standout performers of the championship, returning home with seven medals from an 11-athlete squad and two coaches.

Nigeria won three gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals to underline the country’s growing influence in African taekwondo.

The gold medals were won by Ability Mathew Udom in the Para Taekwondo category, Haruna Usman in Poomsae and Aderibigbe Faridah in Kyorugi sparring.

The country’s only silver medal came through the combined efforts of Abdulafeez and Faridah in the Poomsae event, while Joel Jordan, Chidinma Okoko and Salaudeen Abdulazeez secured bronze medals to complete Nigeria’s tally.

The achievement is particularly significant given Nigeria’s modest record at the African Championships since the competition was first staged in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1996.

Prior to Bamako 2026, Nigeria had won only two gold medals, nine silver medals and 19 bronze medals in the history of the tournament.

Reacting to the team’s performance, President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Ms. Temitayo Kuburat Popoola, praised the athletes, coaches and support staff for their determination and commitment.

“The team’s remarkable performance reflects the dedication, hard work and resilience of the athletes, coaches and support personnel who represented Nigeria with distinction on the continental stage,” Popoola said.

The federation, in a statement, congratulated the medal winners and technical crew for their exceptional outing, describing the result as further evidence of Nigeria’s growing strength in the sport.

It also acknowledged the support of the National Sports Commission, stakeholders and supporters whose contributions played a crucial role in the team’s success.

According to the federation, the achievement will serve as motivation to continue investing in athlete development and strengthening Nigeria’s position among Africa’s leading taekwondo nations.

Nigeria’s contingent, came back to the country Wednesday evening aboard an Asky Airlines flight, carrying renewed confidence after a championship that produced one of the nation’s finest performances on the continental stage.