By the time Egypt and Benin walked onto the sand at Aero Beach, there was only one thing left to settle.

After two days of competition, the Team Relay had reached its final, bringing together the two highest-seeded teams in the knockout draw. Egypt had entered the competition as the No. 1 seed, while Benin had been seeded No. 2. Both had made it through the pressure of the knockout stage, and now they were facing each other with the title within reach.

The final began at 15:00 local time, and from the opening men’s doubles, it was clear that neither side was prepared to give anything away.

Egypt’s Ahmed Salah and Ashraf Aly Ashraf took the first match against Benin’s Oswald Ash Fano-Dosh and Carlos Miguel Codjo Kpanou, but the 15–13 score showed just how little separated the two sides.

Benin responded in the women’s doubles, where Anna Gladys Akakpo and Flora Kpogbemabou pushed Egypt’s Reem Hussien and Nada Sherif all the way. Egypt eventually edged the contest 15–14, leaving them only two points ahead as the tie reached 30–24.

The final was beginning to live up to its billing.

There was still plenty of work for both teams to do, and Benin continued to search for a way back into the contest. Egypt, however, managed to protect their advantage in the next stage, with Reem Hussien, Nour Refaat and Nada Sheriftaking the Team 1 stage 15–9 against Anna Gladys Akakpo, Blessing Atchade and Flora Kpogbemabou.

The score stood at 45–40.

Five points separated the finalists.

That meant everything would come down to the final stage.

Benin knew they needed to close the gap. Egypt knew they simply had to hold on.

With the title now resting on the final Team 2, Abdelrahman Magdy Abdelsattar, Ashraf Aly Ashraf and Ahmed Salah stepped onto the court for Egypt, while Benin sent out Oswald Fano-Dosh, Carlos Miguel Codjo Kpanou and Julien Wadoud Totin.

Benin fought for every point and refused to let Egypt pull away.

But Egypt had just enough in reserve.

They closed out the final stage 15–17 to finish the tie 60–57, securing the Team Relay title by just three points.

For Benin, it was a remarkably close finish to a campaign that had taken them all the way to the final. They had challenged Egypt throughout the match and stayed within touching distance right until the last stage.

For Egypt, the narrow victory brought the reward for holding their composure when the pressure was at its highest.

A three-point difference decided the championship.

After the intensity of the group stage, the knockout rounds and a final that remained alive until the closing points, Egypt had done enough to lift the Team Relay title at Aero Beach.

The Team Relay may now have a champion, but the Africa AirBadminton Championships continue. With the individual competitions getting underway, there is still plenty more to come from Entebbe.

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Thursday morning brought a different kind of pressure to Aero Beach in Entebbe. After two days of group-stage competition, there was no room left for teams to rely on a second opportunity. The Team Relay had reached the knockout stage, and for Algeria, Burkina Faso, Rwanda and Mauritius, the opening matches of Day 2 would decide who continued towards the title and who saw their campaign come to an end.

The first quarter-final on Court 1 produced a closely fought contest between Algeria and Burkina Faso. Neither side was willing to give much away in the opening stages, with Burkina Faso taking a narrow 15–14 lead in the first Team 2 match. Algeria responded as the tie progressed, but Burkina Faso continued to find a way to stay in front. Their advantage grew to 45–38 before the final stage, leaving Algeria with a difficult task as they tried to keep their Team Relay hopes alive.

Burkina Faso held their nerve through the final stage and secured a 60–54 victory. It was a hard-earned result that sent them through to the semi-finals and ended Algeria’s run in the Team Relay competition. Having stayed within touching distance for much of the tie, Algeria could take little comfort from the final score as Burkina Faso proved more consistent when it mattered most.

On the other court, Mauritius faced Rwanda with the same objective: securing a place in the semi-finals. Mauritius, however, quickly established control of the tie. They opened with a 15–8 victory in the men’s doubles before extending their lead to 30–14. Rwanda attempted to respond, but Mauritius continued to apply pressure and moved further ahead at 45–20.

With the advantage firmly in their hands, Mauritius completed a 60–28 victory and booked their place in the next round. The result marked a convincing performance from the Mauritian side, who maintained their momentum throughout the four stages and gave Rwanda little opportunity to close the gap.

By the end of the morning session, the quarter-final picture was settled. Burkina Faso and Mauritius had survived their respective battles and moved one step closer to the Team Relay final, while Algeria and Rwanda were left to reflect on the end of their campaigns.

But the two winners would not have much time to recover. The semi-finals were already waiting, bringing two of the tournament’s strongest sides, Egypt and Benin, into the picture. With a place in the Team Relay final at stake, the intensity at Aero Beach was only set to increase as the competition moved into its decisive stages.

For more updates, results and highlights from the Africa AirBadminton Championships, follow us on our Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube channel and WhatsApp channel and stay connected with all the action from Entebbe.