Akinyosoye Rises to 65th in World as Nigeria Climbs Fencing Rankings

Posted : 03 July 2025

Following his impressive performance at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked fencer on the global stage.

The latest rankings released by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) place Akinyosoye at 65th in the men’s senior sabre category.

Akinyosoye reached the quarterfinals of the individual men’s sabre event and stunned fans by defeating Olympic silver medallist Fares Farjani of Tunisia 5–4 in a thrilling preliminary bout at Charterhouse, Lagos.

The 20-year-old UK-based athlete, who previously represented England at cadet and junior levels, now leads Nigeria’s fencers in international standings, overtaking Inkosi Brou, who formerly held the nation’s top spot.

While Brou has dropped in the senior rankings, he remains Nigeria’s highest-ranked junior fencer, currently 23rd globally. Based in the United States, Brou continues to play a vital role in the development of Nigerian fencing.

In the senior men’s epee rankings: Mahadi Idongesit leads Nigeria at 206th, followed by Wisdom Okanlawon (209), Mahathir Idongesit (212), and Adegbola Babade (215).

For senior men’s foil, Oritsematosan Egbesemirone is ranked 116th, while Olumuyiwa Ige and Alex Aninyei are 502nd and 504th, respectively.

In the senior women’s foil, 13-year-old Peluola Akinbamiro is Nigeria’s sole representative, ranked 441st.

In senior women’s epee, Adebodunrin Thomas leads at 186th, followed by Sara Idongesit (190) and Somtochukwu Eribenne (530).

Nigeria also recorded significant progress in team rankings:

The women’s epee team is ranked 36th globally after finishing fifth at the African Championships. The men’s team ranks 43rd in epee and 28th in foil worldwide.

Adeyinka Samuel, President of the Nigeria Fencing Federation, hailed the new rankings as a sign of Nigeria’s rising potential in the sport.

“Hosting the African Championships was not just about international guests,” Samuel stated.

“It was about empowering Nigerian fencers to improve their global standing. These rankings open doors to international opportunities and boost Olympic qualification hopes.

We are thrilled with this progress and call for greater support from both the public and private sectors.”

Akinyosoye Rises to 65th in World as Nigeria Climbs Fencing Rankings

Following his impressive performance at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye has emerged as Nigeria’s highest-ranked fencer on the global stage.

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