African Fencing Championships: a Cameroonian shines and wins a Gold medal

At the African Fencing Championships currently being held in Morocco, Cameroonian fencer Lorina Essomba Mbega has caused a sensation in the absence of her usual rival, Saoussen Boudiaf of Algeria, the title holder who was prevented from taking part for diplomatic reasons.

“This is a significant victory for me and for my country. I gave my best on the piste and I’m delighted to see my hard work rewarded,” said Lorina Essomba Mbega after her brilliant performance.

Born on 16 December 2002, Lorina Essomba is a Cameroonian fencer specialising in sabre. She was French N2 cadet champion in 2019.

In 2024, Lorina Essomba suffered defeat in the final of the Olympic qualifying tournament in Algiers, losing to Tunisia’s Yasmine Daghfous (10-15). However, she overcame this disappointment brilliantly to win the African title in Casablanca the same year, in the absence of favourite Saoussen Boudiaf.

This is excellent news for Cameroon, coming just a few days after the announcement of Soppi Mbella’s qualification for the Olympic Games, as reported by Lattaquant.com.