An exciting celebration of African University Sport

After days of competition, celebration, new friendships and memorable performances, the curtain has come down on the 12th All Africa University Games – Cairo 2026, with the American University in Cairo (AUC) crowned overall university champion and Egypt finishing as the leading nation.

The Games saw broad African participation, with 2,082 participants including 1,688 students and 394 administrators representing 18 countries and 82 universities, competing in 18 sports alongside 4 Paralympic sports and 3 exhibition sports.

From the opening ceremony to the final medals, Cairo became a meeting point for Africa’s university sports community, bringing student-athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and university leaders together through competition and cultural exchange.

AUC crowned overall champion

For the third consecutive edition, the American University in Cairo emerged as the overall champion of the All-Africa University Games.

AUC collected 46 medals in the main competitions — 16 gold, 13 silver and 17 bronzes — alongside 15 medals in Para events, including 10 gold medals. Its performances stretched across swimming, tennis, squash, table tennis, badminton, modern pentathlon, judo, taekwondo, fencing and other disciplines.

The victory completed a remarkable hat-trick for AUC following its overall titles at Nairobi 2022 and Lagos 2024.

Host nation Egypt was also recognised as the leading country in the overall standings, underlining the strength of its universities across the Games. Cairo University recorded another significant medal haul, finishing with 57 medals, including 22 gold, while several other Egyptian institutions contributed podium finishes across the competition.

some shots of the event

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Champions from across the continent

While the hosts enjoyed a strong overall performance, Cairo 2026 produced champions and memorable stories from across Africa.

In men’s football, the University for Development Studies of Ghana successfully defended its African university crown, defeating Université Julius Nyerere de Kankan of Guinea 2–1 in the final. The victory continued an outstanding period for UDS, which entered Cairo as the defending FASU champion. (UDS Graduate School⁠)

Uganda celebrated success in the women’s competition as Nkumba University defeated Université Général Lansana Conté de Sonfonia 3–1 to claim the women’s football gold medal. Nigeria’s Nnamdi Azikiwe University completed the podium, defeating the German University in Cairo 3–0 for bronze.

There was also a memorable triumph for Guinea in men’s basketball. After losing 63–49 to Université de Parakou of Benin earlier in the tournament, Institut Supérieur de Technologie de Mamou (ISTM) turned the tables when it mattered most, winning the final 80–67 to become African university champions. (Africa University Sports⁠)

Elsewhere, the Games produced champions across volleyball, basketball, swimming, athletics, table tennis, judo, badminton, tennis, fencing, taekwondo and several other disciplines.

Among the standout athletics performances was South Africa’s Tshepo Tyantini of the University of Johannesburg, who claimed the men’s 100m title in a personal-best 10.09 seconds, while the University of Ghana enjoyed an outstanding Games, collecting 23 medals — 10 gold, eight silver and five bronze — across athletics, badminton and tennis.
The competition also produced stories of consistency and title defence, including Roaa Elnaghi, who retained her women’s table tennis singles crown after previously winning gold at the 2024 Games in Nigeria.

History made through para sport

Beyond medals and records, Cairo 2026 will be remembered for a major milestone in the development of African university sport.

For the first time in the history of the All Africa University Games, para sport formed part of the programme, with student-athletes competing in para athletics, para badminton, para swimming and para table tennis. (Africa University Sports⁠)

The introduction represented an important expansion of the FASU Games platform and provided student-athletes with disabilities the opportunity to compete for continental university honours alongside their peers.

The significance went beyond the results. Cairo demonstrated that inclusion can form an integral part of the future of university sport on the continent.

Experiencing Egyptian culture

Beyond the sporting programme, Cairo 2026 offered participants an opportunity to experience Egypt’s history, culture and creative traditions.

Visits to the Pyramids gave athletes and delegation members the chance to encounter one of the world’s most recognisable heritage sites. For many participants, standing before the monuments of Giza became one of the most memorable moments of their time in Egypt and provided a shared experience beyond their respective sports.

The accompanying cultural programme further enriched the Games through cinema, music, arts, traditional crafts and student-led creative activities. These events created spaces for interaction among participants from different countries while showcasing Egyptian heritage and the wider cultural diversity of the African continent.

Next stop: Algeria 2028

As Cairo 2026 came to an end, the FASU Games flag was officially handed over to Algeria, marking the beginning of the journey towards the 13th All Africa University Games in 2028. Egyptian authorities confirmed the handover during the closing ceremony, while the Algerian University Sports Federation subsequently announced Oran as the host city for the 2028 edition.

Written by Chidiebere Ezeani