Nigeria produced one of its finest outings in the history of the African Taekwondo Championships after claiming a historic seven-medal haul at the 2026 edition in Bamako, Mali, while Morocco successfully defended its continental crown for the third consecutive time.
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The championships, held from May 29 to 31, featured over 300 athletes from 32 countries competing for honours across various categories.
Morocco once again underlined its dominance in African taekwondo by topping both the men’s and women’s standings, extending the reign it began in 2022.
The North Africans secured 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 also added three silver medals courtesy of 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 to cap another dominant campaign.
Their supremacy was further reflected in the individual awards as Moroccan official Naima Belach was named Best Referee, while Badr Smaili won Best Men’s Coach and Hakima El Meslahy claimed the Best Women’s Coach award.
Despite Morocco’s dominance, Nigeria emerged as one of the standout teams at the tournament after returning home with seven medals from an 11-athlete contingent and two coaches.
Nigeria won three gold medals, one silver, and three bronze medals — a remarkable achievement that highlighted the country’s growing status in African taekwondo.
Ability Mathew Udom secured gold in the Para Taekwondo category, Haruna Usman triumphed in Poomsae, while Aderibigbe Faridah delivered another gold medal in the Kyorugi sparring event.
Nigeria’s lone silver medal came through the combined efforts of Abdulafeez and Faridah in the Poomsae event, while Joel Jordan, Chidinma Okoko, and Salaudeen Abdulazeez claimed bronze medals.
The performance marked a major improvement in Nigeria’s history at the African Championships, which began in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1996.
Before Bamako 2026, Nigeria had managed only two gold medals, nine silver medals, and 19 bronze medals in the competition’s history.
Reacting to the achievement, President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Ms. Temitayo Kuburat Popoola, praised the athletes and officials for their commitment and determination.
“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 stated.
The federation also commended the technical crew, the National Sports Commission, and other stakeholders for their support, noting that the success in Bamako would further inspire investment in athlete development and strengthen Nigeria’s position among Africa’s leading taekwondo nations.
Nigeria’s contingent is expected back in the country on Wednesday evening aboard an Asky Airlines flight following one of the nation’s most successful campaigns at the continental championship.
