Best archers in Abidjan? Three who showed major growth since Nabeul 2023

Côte d'Ivoire had one of the most memorable tournaments any country could have at a continental competition.

They seized the opportunity of hosting the Abidjan 2025 African Archery Championships , walking away with 15 medals in total – by far the highest tally of podiums at Stade Robert Champroux de Marcory.

To top it off, Franck Eyeni and Anne-Marie Yedagne claimed the recurve men’s and women’s golds, finishing the week in front of a fantastic, jubilant home crowd.

They and their country shone, but individually, who else performed in Abidjan since Nabeul 2023? And, just like the recurve individual gold matches, was it an Ivorian sweep?

Here are three of the best African archers from last week – and why they stood out.

3. Roua Ben Abdelkader, Tunisia

Placing the recurve women’s runner-up above the gold medallist may raise a few eyebrows. Yedagne could easily have made this list, but she performed as expected.

Although not the top seed, Yedagne’s experience – including her Pretoria 2022 win – meant she could still win from seventh in qualifications. Roua Ben Abdelkader’s week, however, should not be overlooked.

She led after the 72-arrow round with a score of 610, reached her first individual medal match, and also claimed bronze in Tunisia’s mixed team with Mohamed Hammed.

Achieving all this at just 18 signals the makings of a future African Champion. Overcoming a heavily supported opponent in a different country is no small feat. With Rihab Elwalid (Nabeul 2023 bronze medallist) now representing Qatar, Ben Abdelkader looks set to spearhead Tunisia’s recurve women for years to come.

2. Gloria Kitali, Kenya

No matter the growth of barebow in Africa, Gloria Kitali has cemented her name in the continent’s archery history.

Barebow men debuted at the African Championships in Nabeul 2023; this year, the women’s category followed suit in Côte d’Ivoire. Out of five competitors, four were Ivorian, with Kitali the sole outsider – and she did more than represent her country.

Her qualification score of 455 was 43 points higher than second-placed Marie Ange Nomel, and she continued that dominance in the matches, sweeping Erica Grace Teki and Nomel both in straight sets to claim gold.

Kitali also became the first African Champion from Kenya since Kuki Anwar won the recurve women’s event at Windhoek 2016.

 1. Franck Eyeni, Côte D'Ivoire

It would be impossible to leave out an Ivorian archer after such an unforgettable week.

Just like Yedagne on Sunday in recurve women, Franck Eyeni delivered in front of fans and teammates, who provided fantastic support throughout the competition. Unlike Pretoria 2022, he this time matched his compatriot’s success.

Three years ago, Eyeni narrowly lost Wian Roux, who then went on to compete in Paris 2024. On Sunday, he faced another tough opponent on paper – Mohamed Hammed, a Tokyo 2020 Olympian – but there were no doubts about his ability.

As top seed, Eyeni remained composed on stage, assembling a convincing 6-2 victory. His experience from the Indoor World Series, two 2023 World Cups (Antalya and Paris), and the Berlin 2023 Hyundai World Archery Championships likely played a role in that performance.