Nigeria’s Anuoluwapo Opeyori reaffirmed his dominance in African badminton on Sunday, securing his fifth men’s singles title at the 2025 African Badminton Championships in Douala, Cameroon.
The Nigerian shuttler overcame Egypt’s Adham Elgamal in a fiercely contested final at the Gymnase de Japoma, winning 2-0. Opeyori breezed through the first set with a commanding 21-7 victory, but the second set proved to be a nail-biter. He eventually edged past Elgamal 23-22 to claim his fourth consecutive title (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025), adding to his maiden triumph in 2019.
Entering the tournament as Africa’s second-ranked player, the 27-year-old battled past Morocco’s Driss Bourroum in the semi-finals, while Elgamal stunned top seed Julien Paul of Mauritius.
However, it was a disappointing outing for other Nigerian shuttlers, as Victor Ikechukwu and Joseph Emmanuel exited in the quarter-finals, while Dorcas Adesokan also fell at the last-eight stage in the women’s singles.
Despite Opeyori’s individual brilliance, Nigeria failed to replicate his success in the team event, crashing out in the quarter-finals against Mauritius. The highly anticipated rematch between the two nations, following their group-stage encounter, saw Mauritius deliver a flawless 3-0 victory to book a spot in the semi-finals.
The opening match featured an intense battle between Opeyori and Lucas Douce. The Mauritian took the first set 21-12, but Opeyori fought back to claim the second 21-19. However, Lucas displayed remarkable resilience in the decider, sealing a 21-15 win after an intense 57-minute duel.
In the women’s singles, Sofiat Obanishola started strong against Elsa Hong, winning the first set 21-16. However, tragedy struck early in the second set when Obanishola suffered an injury, forcing her to retire at 1-1, dealing a significant blow to Nigeria’s hopes.
Mauritius sealed their victory in the men’s doubles as Jean Bongout and Julien Paul dominated Emmanuel and Ikechukwu, securing a straight-sets win (21-16, 21-13) in just 31 minutes.
Nigeria last won the team event in 2019 when they hosted the tournament. While Opeyori’s triumph was the highlight of Nigeria’s campaign, the team will look to bounce back stronger in future competitions.
