African Games
AFRICAN GAMES FOOTBALL GOLD MEDAL: THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR NIGERIA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is a well-known fact that Nigeria has not won the gold medal of the football event of the All Africa Games since the success on home soil on 18 January 1973.
The tale of failure began on this date, 28 July 1978 when the then Green Eagles lost 1-0 to hosts, Algeria in the final match of the 3rd All Africa Games at the 5th July Stadium in Algiers.
Parading a strong side, which included the returnee Thompson Usiyen, Nigeria lost to the hosts on the artificial turf as Ali Bencheick scored the deciding goal in the 33rd minute of the match.
Ever since winning the silver medal, the gold has eluded the Nigerian men football team. The first indication was when the team failed to qualify for the next episode at Nairobi in 1987 after being controversially eliminated by Cote d’Ivoire in two-legged encounter in which Samson Siasia made his international debut.
In the next edition in 1991, a strong Nigerian side that included Emmanuel Amuneke and Tijani Babangida among others crashed out in the semi-final to Cameroon and could only contest for the bronze medal.
It was also a bronze medal fro Nigeria at the Harare ’95 while they failed to qualify for South Africa 1999 just as it happened in 2007 and 2011. On home soil in 2003, Nigeria lost the gold medal match to Cameroon just as they lost to Burkina Faso last year in Morocco.
Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who superintended the 13th African Games held in Accra Ghana in February has died.
He was the Chief Operating Officer of the Accra 2023 Local Organising Committee (LOC).
According to sources in Ghana, Dr. Owusu-Ansah was a sports administrator and coach, and thus left behind, a significant legacy in the world of sports.
Dr Owusu-Ansah, a former Chief Executive of the National Sports Authority (NSA), was widely regarded as an encyclopaedia of sports knowledge.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Owusu-Ansah, a former national chief athletics coach, authored the best-selling book “Principles of Abundant Living.”
He played a pivotal role in establishing the Department of Sports Studies at the College of Education at the University of Ghana. Additionally, he served as the Director of the Sports Directorate at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The Africa Students Football Union (ASFU) has expressed condolences over the passing of a patron of the union, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who served as the COO of the just concluded 13th Africa Games held in Ghana.
Dr. Owusu-Ansah’s death was announced on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
According to a release by the executive secretary of the union, Femi Abioye, Owusu-Ansah until his death contributed immensely to sports development on the continent and the world at large.
He left an indelible impact on the lives of students-athletes coupled with sports administration across Africa countries.
The ASFU’s President, Prof. Oluwaseun Omotayo, who was shocked at the news of the demise of Dr. Owusu-Ansah described the deceased as a pillar, saying his departure has left a great vacuum in sports management.
He relished the deceased contribution and unwavering dedication to ASFU, saying the Union would miss the deceased.
“We will miss Dr. Owusu-Ansah, whose contribution to sports, knew no bounds. He was always ready to serve. He helped build the Union and was pivotal to the Union programmes. We will surely miss him,” he said.
He extended the Union condolences to all those affected by this loss, praying God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.
African Games
A milestone as Egypt becomes the first country to get 100 gold medals in African Games
As the curtain is drawn on the 13th African Games in Egypt, the traditional overall winners, have this time hit a milestone.
They have become the first to hit a 100 gold medal mark in the 59 year history of the games.
As at Saturday morning, they have amassed 101 gold medals, 54 more than that of the second placed Nigeria
The biggest star of the Egyptian team is swimmer Marwan Elkamash, who won five gold medals in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x200m relays, all in freestyle.
But medal haul is still short that that of his compatriot, Faten Afifi who fished out seven gold medals from the pool.
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