Akinyosoye Shocks Olympic Medallist as Nigeria Shines at 23rd African Fencing Championships

The 23rd African Fencing Championships are heating up, and Nigeria’s young guns are stealing the spotlight. In one of the most stunning upsets of the tournament so far, 20-year-old Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye delivered a career-defining performance by defeating top-seeded Olympic silver medallist Fares Farjani of Tunisia in the men’s individual sabre preliminaries.

Akinyosoye’s Breakthrough Moment

Akinyosoye, who recently switched allegiance from England to Nigeria, edged Farjani 5–4 in a nail-biting duel that electrified the crowd at Charterhouse Lagos. The victory sent shockwaves through the tournament and cemented the young fencer’s place as one to watch on the African circuit.

Riding high from his triumph, Akinyosoye powered past Algeria’s Lotfi Ibrihen with a confident 15–9 win in the Round of 16. His fairytale run, however, ended in the quarterfinals with a 15–8 loss to Tunisia’s sixth seed Ahmed Ferjani. Still, his fearless fencing and explosive performance marked a major personal and national milestone.

Akinyosoye Oluwafolayemi
Photo by Oluwaseyi #bizziteam / FIE

Near Miss for Brou

Meanwhile, Inkosi Brou, Nigeria’s teenage fencing sensation and 2025 African Junior bronze medalist, fell just short of reaching the quarterfinals. Brou, the grandson of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, impressed early on but lost 15–11 to Niger’s Evann Girault in the Round of 16.

Big Names Stumble

The surprises didn’t end there. In a dramatic turn, defending champion Fares Farjani also bowed out early, losing 15–13 to Egypt’s Adham Moataz—a result that blew the men’s sabre bracket wide open.

Nigerian Women Rise

Nigeria’s emerging female talent also made their mark. Sarah Idongesit and Adebodunrin Thomas, two of the youngest athletes in the women’s épée event, both progressed from their groups into the knockout rounds. Although they were eventually eliminated by more seasoned Moroccan and Algerian fencers, their advancement is a strong sign of Nigeria’s growing strength in women’s fencing.

What’s Next?

All eyes now turn to the Men’s Foil and Women’s Sabre events on Friday, June 27, where Team Nigeria hopes to build on the momentum. With breakout performances and rising stars making headlines, the 23rd African Fencing Championships is shaping up to be a defining moment for Nigerian fencing.

Written by Boom RadioNG