Kuti beats Tunisian 3-1 to stay alive at Dakar Youth Olympics
Nigeria's Matthew Kuti revived his knockout hopes at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with a 3-1 win over Tunisia's Youssef Aidli on Sunday at the Dakar Expo Centre. The African Youth Cup champion bounced back from an opening 3-0 loss to Hong Kong's Li Ki Ho, winning 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7 in Group C.
Kuti, Nigeria's deputy captain, now needs one more victory to reach the knockout stage. His decisive final group match against Italy's Francesco Travesan is scheduled for Monday. The top two from the four-player group advance.
Meanwhile, Kuti and Favour Ojo exited the mixed doubles in the round of 16 on Saturday, losing to Thai opponents. Ojo's singles campaign also ended after a 3-1 loss to Egypt's Yara Elbadawy.
With Ojo out, all Nigerian medal hopes in table tennis rest on Kuti's Monday showdown. Will the African champion deliver when it matters most?