Ghana's Relay Heartbreak: Nigeria Clinches Gold in Men's 4x100m Final at 2023 African Games

Written by Afua Amankwanowa

At the 2023 African Games hosted at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon, Accra, Ghana endured a bitter defeat against their arch-rivals Nigeria in the men’s 4x100m event final. Despite clinching gold in 2019 ahead of Nigeria, Ghana fell short this time, with Nigeria seizing the gold medal and seeking redemption for their previous loss. The race was fiercely contested, with Nigeria narrowly edging out Ghana with a time of 38.41s, while Ghana finished just behind with a time of 38.43s. Liberia managed to secure the third position, setting a national record with a time of 38.73s.

Ghana’s relay team boasted prominent athletes such as Benjamin Azamati, the national record holder in the 100m, Joe Paul Amoah, who had previously claimed bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Edwin Gadayi, and Solomon Hammond. Despite an impressive performance in the semifinals, Ghana was left stunned by the outcome of the final. The disappointment was evident among the athletes, who had set their sights on claiming the gold medal. Nonetheless, they received applause from the spectators for their remarkable effort.

The men’s 4x100m final followed the women’s event, where Nigeria also secured gold, leaving Ghana to settle for third place.