Sports
African Games 2023 close with festive atmosphere
The Accra 2023 African Games in Ghana came to a successful close last Saturday. Egypt were the biggest winners with 191 medals, 102 of them gold, but Ghana’s performance in the team sports was also very impressive.
The 13th African Games in the land of Ghana ended with a resounding victory for Egypt, who won 102 gold medals (191 total), twice as many as their nearest rivals, Nigeria, who settled for second place with 47 gold medals (121 total). South Africa secured third place with 106 medals, 32 of which were gold.
The African Games Accra 2023 also saw remarkable team performances from the host nation.
Ghana’s U-20 men’s national football team and their women, the Black Princesses won gold in the football event in Cape Coast and Accra.
In a nail-biting showdown at the Theodosia Okoh Stadium, Ghana’s national women’s hockey team, the Black Sticks, secured their first field hockey gold medal at the African Games. The dramatic victory came when they defeated fierce rivals Nigeria 4-3 in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out.
Ghana’s best performance prior to today’s gold medal was a fourth place finished at the Abuja Games in 2003. Kenya, who finished last in the group stage, improved in the closing stages to take bronze.
In the men’s competition, Egypt overcame Ghana after a 2-2 draw in which the hosts staged a historic comeback from 2-0 down. The penalty shootout ended 3-1 in favour of the Egyptians, leaving a sour taste in the hosts’ mouths as they failed to complete a ‘double in hockey.’
Algeria overcame a 6-9 halftime deficit to win gold in the men’s 3×3 basketball competition with a 16-11 final victory. Uganda finished third with a 17-11 victory.
In the women’s competition, Mali defeated Nigeria 21-11 in a West African derby, while the Democratic Republic of Congo beat Benin to finish third.
In handball, Egypt claimed one of its 102 gold medals with a narrow 33-32 victory over the Republic of Congo, while Nigeria completed the podium with a 38-20 win over Benin.
In the women’s competition, Angola won the gold medal unbeaten and convincingly, beating Burkina Faso 47-13, Ghana 35-13, Algeria 38-18 in the group stage and the Republic of Congo 33-15. Meanwhile, Cameroon beat Algeria 29-21 in the play-off for third place to claim bronze.
Zimbabwe was the inaugural champions of the women’s T20 cricket tournament, winning the gold medal after a thrilling super-over win over South Africa in the final.
In the men’s competition, Zimbabwe also claimed glory in the final.
The Accra 2023 tournament will go down in history as the debut of rugby as a competitive sport. South Africa, the reigning world champions, did not take part in the event, leaving the field open for others.
–Insidethegames.biz
Asante Kotoko SC has announced with deep sadness the passing of its former Brands and Marketing Manager, Kweku Hammond.
In a statement released by the club, Kotoko described Hammond’s death as untimely and expressed heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
“Although his time with the club was brief, Kweku served with dedication, diligence, and unwavering commitment to Asante Kotoko,” the club stated. “His contributions and loyalty to the club will not be forgotten.”
Kweku Hammond served in the club’s Brands and Marketing department, where he played a role in promoting the Porcupine Warriors’ brand and engaging supporters.
The club assured that it will continue to honour his memory and legacy.
“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” the statement concluded.
Fans and members of the football fraternity have since joined the club in mourning, sharing tributes to Hammond for his professionalism and commitment during his time at club.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Captain of Ghana’s National U-15 Boys team, Abdul Aziz Issa, says the exposure gained at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan will be vital for the development of the squad.
Ghana finished 7th out of 189 countries after an impressive campaign, winning eight of ten matches.
“I think we played well, the exposure was good for our development, and we can’t thank FIFA and the GFA enough for this amazing platform,” Issa said.
“I’m so very happy to be part of this FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 in Azerbaijan. I want to thank my colleagues for how far we have brought Ghana in this tournament.”
The captain believes the experience will prepare the group for future challenges at U-17 and U-20 level.
Ghana enjoyed an outstanding tournament, scoring 44 goals and establishing themselves among the top seven teams.
Their dominant group stage saw them score 27 goals while conceding just three. Salifu Fatawu’s side opened with a commanding 4-1 win over Uzbekistan, thrashed Myanmar 7-1, recorded emphatic 7-0 wins over Guam and the Bahamas, before rounding off the group with a 2-1 triumph over Kazakhstan.
Their pursuit of a higher finish suffered a setback in the knockout phase after elimination by Paraguay in a dramatic encounter.
The team bounced back to finish 7th, including a commanding 4-0 victory over Colombia in their final game, despite suffering a 7-1 defeat to Brazil in the Tier A Ranking Play-Offs.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
