Ghana faced a bitter defeat against their rivals Nigeria in the men’s 4x100m event at the 2023 African Games in a fiercely contested final at the University of Ghana Stadium in Legon, Accra.
With a previous gold medal victory in 2019 at Rabat, ahead of Nigeria, Ghana harboured high hopes of securing another gold on home soil. However, Nigeria emerged triumphant, seizing the gold and avenging their loss from five years prior.
The race was incredibly tight, with Nigeria just clinching the victory as they finished with a time of 38.41s, while Ghana narrowly missed out with a time of 38.43s. Liberia secured the third position in the race, setting a national record with a time of 38.73s.
Ghana’s relay team consisted of notable athletes such as Benjamin Azamati, the national record holder in the 100m, Joe Paul Amoah, who previously won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 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 palpable among the athletes, as they had set their sights on claiming the gold. Nevertheless, they received applause from the spectators who were impressed by their remarkable effort.
The men’s 4x100m final followed the women’s event, in which Nigeria also secured gold, with Ghana settling for third place.