The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has released its latest rankings, and Nigeria’s Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye has emerged as the country’s highest-ranked fencer globally. Akinyosoye, a 20-year-old UK-based athlete, is ranked 65th in the men’s senior sabre category.
Akinyosoye’s impressive performance at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, where he stunned top seed and Olympic silver medallist Fares Farjani of Tunisia in a tense preliminary round bout, has earned him a significant boost in the rankings. The victory has propelled him to the top spot among Nigerian fencers, overtaking Inkosi Brou.
In the senior men’s epee category, Mahadi Idongesit leads the Nigerian contingent at 206th, followed by Wisdom Okanlawon (209), Mahathir Idongesit (212), and Adegbola Babade (215). For senior men’s foil, Oritsematosan Egbesemirone is ranked 116th, with Olumuyiwa Ige (502) and Alex Aninyei (504) also making the list.
Among the women, 13-year-old Peluola Akinbamiro is Nigeria’s sole representative in the senior women’s foil rankings, placed at 441st. In senior women’s epee, Adebodunrin Thomas leads at 186th, followed by Sara Idongesit (190) and Somtochukwu Eribenne (530).
The Nigerian women’s epee team, which finished fifth at the African Championships, is now ranked 36th globally. In the senior men’s team rankings, Nigeria holds 43rd in epee and 28th in foil.
President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, has described the rankings as a reflection of the country’s growing potential in the sport.
“These rankings open doors for our athletes to participate in more international tournaments and enhance their chances of qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” Samuel said.
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