Nadjib Temmar the big man in Algerian judo team

With seven gold medals Algeria was clearly the leading nation of Africa this weekend. At the African Championship in Madagascar the team took seven gold medals, just as much as the 2011 edition. With 18 medals in total also the amount of medals was a clear success.

On Saturday at the second day Algeria added another four titles to the three of Friday. Nadjib Temmar was the big man with the double. He won all his four matches including his match against 10-time African champion and title defender Faicel Jaballah (TUN) who ended with empty hands after this edition, he didn't even fight his last match. Temmar bested Maisara ElNagar of Egypt in the final +100kg, who also won two medals this weekend.

Algeria had a another big success in the category U100kg where Lyes Bouyacoub defeated Ramadan Darwish (EGY) in the final.

The first gold medal of the day among the men was for Mohamed Abdelaal of Egypt. The Egyptians are traditionally strong in the middle weights. But Abdelaal clearly dominates his weight category over the last three years with a successful defence of his African title and the victory at the African Games in 2015. Oussama Mahmoud Snoussi of Tunisia bested Dieudonne Dolassem (CMR) in the final U90kg. It was the first title for Snoussi who saw previous African champion as Abderrahmane Benamadi (champion in 2015-2016) losing his semi final against Dolassem and Snoussi himself overcame Hatem Abd el Akher, double champion in 2013-2014. Snoussi defeated Dolassem by ippon halfway regular time.

Assmaa Niang of Morocco was the expected winner of the women’s U70kg division, but it sounds easier than the mission was. With the Algerian opposition by Souad Bellakehal in the semi final and Imene Agouar in the final, things aren’t that obvious. Niang won her third title in this category, in 2013, 2016 and the 2017 edition. She added the second title for Morocco this event. The two other female titles were left for Algeria again. U78kg Kaouthar Ouallal was the best against Sarra Mzougui of Tunisia. The 26-year old Algerian defeated Mzougui for a fourth time in major events, this time in the final. Heavyweight Sonia Asselah defeated another Tunisian judoka, Sahar Trabelsi. Asselah who lost the final in the open category on Friday, now claimed the gold and bested Trabelsi in a minute, who overcame Open winner Monica Sagna in the semi final. Asselah regained the title that she won in 2012 in the era of Nihel Cheikh Rouhou who took ten titles in the plus category and seven in the open category. Asselah is starting her second career and with seven titles Algeria is starting a new successful period.

Tunisia, good for three titles and nine medals, Egypte and Morocco are the big four.