6th Islamic Solidarity Games: Saudi Arabia Leapfrogs Nigeria as Anyanacho Falls in Taekwondo Semifinal

In a dramatic turn of events at the Malaz Combat Hall, Nigeria’s Elizabeth Oluchi Anyanacho bowed out of the Women’s Under 70kg Taekwondo semifinals after a narrow 2–1 defeat to Iran’s Yalda Valinejad.

The match was a tense three-round battle that saw Valinejad edge past Anyanacho with a combination of precision and persistence.

Anyanacho started cautiously, scoring just one penalty point in the first round while Valinejad secured three solid strike points.

The Nigerian fighter roared back in the second round with a dominant 9-point performance, leveling the match and raising hopes for a final berth.

However, Valinejad held her nerve in the decisive third round, matching Anyanacho’s four strike points and adding two penalty points to clinch the victory by final score.

The loss not only ended Anyanacho’s medal hopes but also coincided with a shift in the overall medal standings.

Saudi Arabia, buoyed by a strong showing across disciplines, overtook Nigeria in the rankings. With 7 golds, 7 silvers, and 15 bronzes, Saudi Arabia now holds sixth place with a total of 29 medals. Nigeria, previously ahead, slipped to seventh with 15 medals, 6 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze.