As Nigeria plot to shame arch-rivals Ghana on home soil

African Games 2023 Mascot

By Edwin Emeanua (Editor)

Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) has tasked the nation’s sports federation to begin ernest preparations for the 13th African Games billed for Ghana from Friday, August 4 to Saturday, August 19, 2023.

“We have yet to start focussing on potential athletes for the African Games billed for Accra, Ghana,” says Tony Nezianya, the NOC publicist.

“We will have to rally the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and all other sports federations to start early preparations for this games.”

Nezianya, the image maker for the NOC, contends that serious preparations are required across the board for readiness for the expected challenge the host nation poses to Nigeria as a regional arch-rival.

He adds: “Are we going to unleash our male athletics stars like the women have taken the lead through the likes of Tobi Amusan?

“Our regional rivals Ghana must not diminish us even on home soil. Let’s rouse the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and other Federations to start preparations now.”

The qualifying play for the games is about to commence. The NOC PRO insists that Nigeria should ensure proportional representation of athletes in the event in Ghana through the qualifiers.

“What about the qualification tournaments,”? Nezianya queries.

“We must take our athletes’ qualification for the games more seriously. To make the desired impact during the Games, we must send an adequate amount of Athletes to Ghana. This can be possible only by preparing seriously for the qualifiers.”

The 13th African Games will be held in three Ghanaian cities-Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi-marking the second time in the tournament’s history that the events will be decentralized following the precursory edition held in Morocco.

In the 12th All African Games hosted by Morocco, Nigeria garnered 127 medals, placing 2nd overall behind only Egypt with 273 medals, with Ghana finishing in the 15th spot with 13 medals.

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