Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The All Africa Senior championship continued On Tuesday at the Alfred Ditte Spiff Civic Centre – Port Harcourt with some nail-biting performances for Mauritius, Zambia, and Ghana as teams jostled for places in the quarterfinals.
Team Nigeria had another easy running following their day one 5-0 ease of South Africa in group D as they again recorded another clean sweep result in all five categories against Zimbabwe.
Nigeria’s Clement Krobakpo beat Mathe Thabane 21-15, 21-10 in men‘s singles while the country’s new sensation, Sofiat Obanishola made an absolute light work of Mudzamuri Tritama in the women’s singles category 21-1, 21-3.
The same was the case for the host country’s representatives in the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles categories.
Team Nigeria who topped group D is yet to lose a single match so far in this year’s championship.
Group B action got the spectators on the edges of their seats on Tuesday as Zambia came close to an upset courtesy Malombo Mulenga in the men’s singles after he narrowly lost out in three sets 21-12, 19-21, 21-17 against Mauritius and Africa number one, Julien Paul Georges.
The two players who were tied at 1-1 after two sets took each other to the stretch in the third set with Julien Paul edging the exhausted Mulenga who won the admiration of the spectators despite the close defeat.
Still, in group B, Mauritius, and Africa’s female best player, Kate Foo Kune defeated Zambia’s Everlyn Siamupangia under ten points 21-5, 21-7 to help her team to a 4-1 as the Zambians triumphed in the women’s doubles.
The final team match of Tuesday night was in group C between Algeria and Ghana in closely contested fixture pairings in all five categories.
While team Ghana won all two of the singles categories, the Algerians also retaliated winning the men’s doubles and women’s doubles which tied both countries at 2-2.
The mixed doubles proved the decider and most exciting and went into the third set as the Ghanaian pair of Daniel Sam and Jennifer Abitty sent the fans cheering with a close 21-10, 19-21, 24-26 (2-1) victory over Egypt’s Mammeri Koceila and Mazri Linda.
Earlier results from the second round of the team event: Zimbabwe 0-4 South Africa, Uganda 5-0 Congo DRC, Zambia 5-0 Benin, Ghana 5-0 Togo, and Algeria 5-0 Ivory Coast.
RESULTS: Third round of team event: Nigeria 5-0 Zimbabwe, Mauritius 4-1 Zambia, Egypt 5-0 Uganda, Algeria 2-3 Ghana, Ivory Coast 4-1 Togo.
QUARTER FINAL FIXTURES
Uganda Vs Nigeria
Ghana Vs South Africa
Mauritius Vs Algeria
Egypt Vs Zambia
