Nigeria, June 27 -- In a week dominated by powerhouse nations, Nigeria's Oluwafolayemi Akinyosoye and Inkosi Brou emerged as breakout stars at the 23rd African Fencing Championships, stunning opponents and igniting fresh hope for the country's fencing future.

Akinyosoye delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the championships by toppling the tournament's No. 1 seed, 27-year-old Fares Ferjani of Tunisia; an Olympic silver medallist and the reigning giant of African sabre fencing.

The 20-year-old, who recently committed his international future to Nigeria after representing England at junior levels, edged Ferjani 5-4 in a nail-biting preliminary bout that lit up the venue and sent Nigerian supporters into a frenzy.

His pe...