Nigeria shines with historic seven-medal haul as Morocco

Morocco underlined its dominance in African taekwondo by securing a third consecutive African Taekwondo Championship title, while Nigeria celebrated one of its most successful outings ever at the continental competition with a record seven-medal haul in Bamako, Mali.

The championship, held from May 29 to 31, featured over 300 athletes from 32 countries competing for honours across multiple categories, with Morocco once again emerging as the continent’s leading force.

The North African nation successfully defended the title it has held since 2022, topping both the men’s and women’s standings.

Morocco claimed six gold medals through Soufiane El Asbi (+87kg), Haitam Zaghouti (-80kg), Mohamed Amine Dhaheri (-68kg), Amina Dehhaoui (-57kg), Farah Touzani (-46kg) and Oumaima El Bouchti (-53kg). Morocco’s dominance extended beyond the podium, with the team also winning three silver and six bronze medals.

The country’s impressive showing earned further recognition as Naima Belach was named Best Referee, Badr Smaili won Best Men’s Coach, and Hakima El Meslahy was crowned Best Women’s Coach.

Amid Morocco’s triumph, Nigeria emerged as one of the biggest success stories of the championship after returning with seven medals from an 11-athlete contingent. Nigeria secured three gold medals through Ability Mathew Udom in Para Taekwondo, Haruna Usman in Poomsae and Aderibigbe Faridah in Kyorugi sparring.

The team also claimed a silver medal through the Poomsae combination of Abdulafeez and Faridah, while Joel Jordan, Chidinma Okoko and Salaudeen Abdulazeez added bronze medals.

The feat represents a significant milestone for Nigerian taekwondo, considering the country’s modest record since the championship’s inception in 1996. Before Bamako 2026, Nigeria had won just two gold medals, nine silver medals and 19 bronze medals in the competition’s history.

President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Temitayo Kuburat Popoola, hailed the athletes and officials for their outstanding performance.

“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 also commended the technical crew and acknowledged the support of the National Sports Commission and other stakeholders, describing the achievement as evidence of Nigeria’s growing strength in the sport.