Nigeria fencers will compete at the 2026 African Senior Fencing Championships in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with the team preparing for a stern test against some of the continent’s top athletes, www.aclsports.com reports.
The competition kicks off from 31 May to 6 June 2026, bringing together Africa’s best fencers across individual and team events in épée, sabre, and foil.
Nigeria will be represented in the men’s sabre, men’s épée, women’s épée, and the men’s épée team event over the course of the championships.
In the men’s sabre, Brou Inkosi, Phoenix Olen, and Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye will carry Nigeria’s hopes. They face strong opposition, including Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist Fares Ferjani of Tunisia and defending champion Ahmed Hesham of Egypt, in one of the standout events of the tournament.
Akinyosoye, Nigeria’s top-ranked sabre fencer at 65th in the world, leads the group after his strong showing at the 2025 African Championships in Lagos. He is joined by 18-year-old Inkosi, ranked 106th globally, while Olen makes his senior continental debut.
In the men’s épée, Diekolola Johnson and Leonard Chizim Aninyei will compete in a large field of athletes targeting podium finishes. Nigeria’s sole female representative, Adebodunrin Thomas, will feature in the individual épée.
The men’s épée team will also be in action as Nigeria aims for solid results across all categories at the International Fencing Federation (FIE)-sanctioned championship.
National coach Ibrahim Alogba, before departure, described the squad as a blend of youth and experience, expressing confidence in their ability to compete strongly on the continental stage.
The championships will feature some of Africa’s leading fencers, including Kenya’s Alexandra Ndolo and Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed and Mohamed Hamza, all targeting titles and ranking points.
Traditional fencing nations such as Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria will also compete alongside Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Angola, Togo, and hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
