It is already given and merely awaiting to be stamped. Nigeria will win the two top positions of the men’s singles event of the 13^th African Games’ badminton.

Thanks to the great efforts of Anuoluwapo Opeyori who defied the stiff opposition by Egypt’s Ahdam Abdelhalim to win a tough semi-final match by 2-1.

It is not the first time that Opeyori will overcome the Egyptian in the same fashion of coming from a game behind.

He did it in 2020 at the third place match of the African Championship at the Cairo Stadium Hall 2.

By his current performance, Opeyori has set up a final match with his compatriot and usual doubles partner, Godwin Olofua in the final match later in the day.

What a dramatic event! The match-up is a repeat of the All African championship held in Port Harcourt in 2019 when the duo played the final match.

For Olofua who is Qatar based, this is an opportunity for him to revenge his loss to Opeyori.  Both players are well known to one another.

No matter the result, Nigeria will be the winner.

Olofua is in the title match after overcoming compatriot, Victor Ikechukwu in an all-Nigeria semi-final contest.

On the 28^th anniversary of South Africa’s first and only success at the Africa Cup of Nations, they again move to the semi-finals after edging out Cape Verde 2-1 on  penalties after a goalless full time and extra time at the Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro.

And so, Bafana Bafana are in the semi-finals for the first time since 2000 when they lost to Nigeria at that same stage.

Now it’s going to be encore as both Nigeria and South Africa will again clash at the semi-finals. The hero of South Africa’s exploits in the match against Cape Verde was Ronwen Williams who has now had four straight clean sheets and also saved three penalty kicks.