Burkina Faso produced the first big surprise of the Africa AirBadminton Championships 2026, defeating Mauritius 60–51 in an exciting Group C tie at Aero Beach, Entebbe.
The Africa AirBadminton Championships got off to an exciting start on Wednesday, 16 September, with the morning session delivering strong performances, close battles and an early upset that immediately caught the attention of the crowd.
Four ties were played during the morning session, with Benin, Algeria, Egypt and Burkina Faso all making their mark.
But it was Burkina Faso’s victory over Mauritius that provided the biggest talking point of the morning.
Burkina Faso stun Mauritius
Mauritius entered the championship with a strong reputation in both badminton and AirBadminton. However, Burkina Faso showed no fear as the two teams met in Group C.
From the opening game, Burkina Faso came out strongly and quickly established a lead.
Rachidatou Bilogo and Kadidjata Diallo helped Burkina Faso take control in the opening stage, with their team reaching 15 points before Mauritius had scored five.
Mauritius then tried to fight back, but Burkina Faso continued to put pressure on their opponents. The second stage ended 30–13, giving Burkina Faso a sizeable advantage.
Mauritius finally began to close the gap in the men’s doubles. Giresh Kumar Rampersand and Tamesh Dookheeproduced a strong performance for Mauritius, reducing the overall deficit as the score moved to 45–32.
The comeback, however, was not enough.
Burkina Faso remained composed during the final stage and held on to their advantage to secure a 60–51 victory.
The official results show the progression of the tie as 15–5, 30–13, 45–32 and 60–51.
It was a major opening result for Burkina Faso and an early reminder that the competition in Entebbe will be wide open.
BCA TV: Burkina Faso celebrate a memorable win
Speaking to BCA TV after the match, Rachidatou Bilogo expressed her happiness at the team’s performance, saying: “We are very happy with this victory because Mauritius is a strong team and we knew it would be a difficult match. We believed in ourselves, stayed together and fought for every point. Starting the championship with a win like this gives us a lot of confidence, and we are now ready for our next challenge.”
Benin open with a strong win
The morning session also saw Benin make a confident start in Group A, defeating Algeria 60–37.
Benin took the first stage 15–11, with Carlos Miguel Codjo Kpanou and Oswald Ash Fano-Dosh giving their team an early advantage.
The Beninese team continued to build on that start in the women’s doubles, extending their lead to 30–17.
They maintained control in the first triples stage, reaching 45–31, before completing the tie at 60–37.
The result gave Benin an important opening victory and put them in a strong position in Group A.
ALGERIA AGAINST TUNISIA
Algeria made a winning start to their Africa AirBadminton Championships campaign, defeating Tunisia 60–52 in an exciting Group A encounter.
The two teams battled closely from the opening stages, with both sides showing good energy and determination. Algeria gradually built an advantage as the match progressed, but Tunisia continued to challenge until the final stages.
With Algeria leading 45–42 going into the final match, there was little separating the two teams. Algeria, however, remained composed under pressure and finished strongly to secure the 60–52 victory.
It was an important opening result for Algeria, while Tunisia showed that they will be a competitive side as the Group A action continues.
Egypt make a statement against Rwanda
In Group B, Egypt produced one of the strongest results of the morning, defeating Rwanda 60–30.
Egypt immediately took control, winning the opening stage 15–5.
The Egyptian women then increased the advantage to 30–14, before the men’s doubles extended the score to 45–20.
Egypt completed the match with another strong performance in the final stage, finishing with a 60–30 victory.
The result gives Egypt an impressive start to their championship campaign.
BCA TV: Egypt pleased with their opening performance
Speaking to BCA TV, Ashraf Aly Ashraf said: “We are very happy with the way we started today. The team stayed focused from the first point and everyone supported each other. It is important to begin a championship with confidence, but we know there are still difficult matches ahead and we have to keep working.”
A morning full of surprises
The opening morning in Entebbe showed exactly what makes AirBadminton exciting.
And if the first session is any indication, there is plenty more excitement to come in Entebbe.
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