Team Nigeria fail to surpass 2019 African Games medals

Despite their impressive performance at the just concluded African Games in Accra, Ghana, Team Nigeria has failed to match or surpass the number of medals that earned them a second place finish at the 12 edition of the Games in Rabat, Morocco.

It will be recalled that Team Nigeria won 46 gold, 36 silver and 48 bronze for a total of 130 medals at the 2019 African Games in Rabat while at the 13th edition of the Games in Accra, Team Nigeria finished with 47 gold, 34 silver and 40 bronze for a total of 121 medals, nine medals less than what was obtained in Rabat.

However, considering that Team Nigeria in Accra won one gold medal more than the number recorded in Rabat, their last performance will be rated higher than the former.

According to available records, Team Nigeria have finished as runners up seven times in 1973 (Brazzaville), 1973 (Lagos), 1978 (Algiers), 1999 (Johannesburg), 2015 (Brazzaville), 2019 (Rabat) and 2023 (Accra). They have also finished in third place four times in 1987 (Nairobi) 1991(Cairo), 1995 (Harare), and 2011 (Maputo).

Team Nigeria have also won the African Games once which was in 2003 when Nigeria hosted the games in Abuja and came tops with 85 gold, 90 silver and 65 bronze for a whopping 240 medals.

Team Nigeria’s second best performance was in 2007 in Algiers where they scooped 50 gold, 55 silver and 54 bronze for a total of 159 medals.

However, that was also Team Nigeria’s lowest position since the inception of the games in 1965 as they finished in 5th position at Algiers 2007.

After 13 editions of the African Games, Nigeria is still second behind seven time winners Egypt on the all-time medals table.

The next edition of the African Games will be hosted by Egypt who broke the 100 gold medal barrier with a total of 102 gold medals at the just concluded 13th edition in Accra, Ghana.