Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna kicked off his 2025 ITTF World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou in Macao on Monday.
In a rematch of their African Cup clash, Aruna edged the opening two games before Salifou fought back to take the third.
The Nigerian, ranked 20th in the world, dug deep to overturn an 8-6 deficit in the fourth and seal the win.
“It’s always tough starting a tournament,” Aruna said. “But I stayed calm and I’m happy with the result.”
Salifou, making just his second appearance for Benin after a long international break, showed promise despite the loss.
Elsewhere, Egypt’s Hana Goda cruised past Malaysia’s Seak Hui Li 4-0, while Dina Meshref earned a confident 3-1 win in her eighth World Cup appearance.
Japan’s Hiroto Shinozuka, China’s Huang Youzheng, and Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar were also among day one winners.
