African Karateka Shine in the Latest WKF World Rankings
African Karateka Shine in the Latest WKF World Rankings
African karate continues to make its mark on the international stage, with athletes from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia featuring prominently in the latest World Karate Federation (WKF) World Rankings.
The latest ranking snapshot, dated 21 August 2026, highlights the strong presence of African athletes across the senior Kata and Kumite categories. The rankings reflect points accumulated through international competition and provide an important measure of athletes' performances and consistency on the world circuit.
Among the outstanding African performances, Said Oubaya of Morocco occupies the No. 1 position in Men's Kumite -67 kg, while Abdalla Abdelaziz of Egypt is ranked No. 1 in Men's Kumite -75 kg. Egypt's Youssef Badawy is also ranked No. 3 in Men's Kumite -84 kg.
African athletes in the Top 30
The following African karateka are currently ranked among the world's Top 30 in their respective senior categories.
Female Kata
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Aya Hesham | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,830 |
Aya Hesham remains one of Africa's leading female Kata athletes, with a Top-20 position in the world ranking.
Female Kumite -50 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Cylia Ouikene | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 3,570 |
| 15 | Reem Ahmed Salama | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,145 |
| 22 | Rayane Sekkour | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 1,770 |
Algeria has two athletes inside the Top 30 in this category, led by Cylia Ouikene at No. 7.
Female Kumite -55 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ahlam Youssef | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 4,065 |
| 7 | Louiza Abouriche | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 3,255 |
| 28 | Chaimae Elhayti | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 1,610 |
Egypt's Ahlam Youssef is currently No. 2 in the world, giving Africa one of its strongest positions in the women's rankings.
Female Kumite -61 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Wafa Mahjoub | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 3,390 |
| 17 | Noursin Aly | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,905 |
| 28 | Rahma Tolba | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,577.5 |
Tunisia's Wafa Mahjoub is ranked sixth worldwide, while Egypt has two athletes in the Top 30.
Female Kumite -68 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Hadir Hendy | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 3,195 |
| 11 | Nisrine Brouk | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 2,535 |
| 15 | Jana Hazem Elsayed | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,157.5 |
| 21 | Feryal Abdelaziz | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,760 |
Egypt has three representatives in the Top 30, led by Hadir Hendy in seventh position. Morocco's Nisrine Brouk is also inside the world's Top 15.
Female Kumite +68 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Menna Shaaban Okila | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,025 |
| 21 | Chahinez Jemi | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 1,590 |
Both Egypt and Tunisia are represented in the world's Top 30 in this category.
Men's Categories
Male Kata
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Mostafa Elghobashy | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,595 |
Mostafa Elghobashy is currently ranked 19th in the world in Men's Kata.
Male Kumite -60 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Zyad Elgharib Aly | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,460 |
| 29 | Yassin Deiab | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,287.5 |
Egypt has two athletes inside the Top 30, with Zyad Elgharib Aly occupying an impressive 10th position.
Male Kumite -67 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Said Oubaya | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 4,815 |
| 12 | Adel Omara | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,180 |
| 17 | Ayoub Anis Helassa | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 1,980 |
Said Oubaya leads the world in Men's Kumite -67 kg, underlining Morocco's growing strength on the international circuit.
Male Kumite -75 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdalla Abdelaziz | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 5,325 |
| 8 | Abdalla Hesham Abdelgawad | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,450 |
| 9 | Hamza Sam | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 2,246.25 |
| 14 | Ali Elsawy | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,972.5 |
Egypt's Abdalla Abdelaziz is world No. 1, while Egypt and Morocco combine for four athletes in the Top 14.
Male Kumite -84 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Youssef Badawy | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 5,460 |
| 7 | Omar Osman | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 2,670 |
| 7 | Mehdi Sriti | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 2,670 |
Youssef Badawy's third-place ranking makes him one of Africa's highest-ranked male athletes, while Omar Osman and Mehdi Sriti share seventh position.
Male Kumite +84 kg
| World Rank | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Taha Tarek Mahmoud | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 3,795 |
| 20 | Elhassan Mohamed | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,690 |
| 23 | Ahmed Elmasry | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,350 |
| 27 | Hocine Daikhi | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 1,275 |
| 30 | Hazem Mohamed | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 1,240 |
Egypt has a particularly strong presence in this category, with four athletes among the world's Top 30. Algeria's Hocine Daikhi is also ranked 27th.
Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia lead African representation
The latest ranking snapshot demonstrates the depth of African representation in the world's leading karate categories.
Egypt has the largest representation among African countries, with athletes appearing across both Kata and Kumite divisions. Morocco is represented by several athletes in leading positions, including world No. 1 Said Oubaya. Algeria has a strong presence in both women's and men's Kumite, while Tunisia is represented by athletes including Wafa Mahjoub and Chahinez Jemi.
The strength of African athletes is also reflected in recent major international competitions. At the 2026 Karate1 Premier League in Rabat, for example, African athletes featured prominently in the medal and placing positions, including Egyptian and Moroccan competitors.
At the most recent World Championships, African athletes also achieved significant results, including Abdalla Abdelaziz and Youssef Badawy of Egypt, who won their respective men's Kumite categories.
A source of inspiration for African Karate
The presence of African athletes among the world's highest-ranked karateka is an important indicator of the continued development of the sport across the continent.
These rankings are not only a reflection of individual excellence, but also of the work being carried out by African National Federations, coaches, clubs and technical teams to develop high-level athletes and increase Africa's competitiveness on the international stage.
With the 2026 African Karate Championships in Algiers approaching, the performances of these athletes provide an additional source of motivation for the next generation of African karateka.
UFAK congratulates all the African athletes represented in the WKF World Rankings and recognises the commitment of their National Federations and technical teams.
The African karate family will continue to follow their journey with pride as they compete for excellence on the world stage.
Follow the official rankings
The complete and official rankings are available through the World Karate Federation's ranking platform:
WKF World Rankings – Official Platform
Ranking information in this article is based on the ranking snapshot dated 21 August 2026. Rankings are subject to change following subsequent updates.
