Ferdinand Omanyala Mocked by World Champion Fred Kerley After Rabat Diamond League Defeat

• Fred Kerley uploaded a cryptic Twitter post believed to be aimed at Ferdinand Omanyala
• He beat Omanyala in Rabat only hours after the African champion said he would not lose
• The two face off again in Italy on Friday alongside Tokyo Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs

World 100-metre champion, Fred Kerley seemingly took a subtle dig at Ferdinand Omanyala after beating him at the Rabat Diamond League on May 28.

Kerley clocked 9.94 seconds to win the second leg of the lucrative World Athletics event, with South Africa's Akani Simbine coming in second. Omanyala finished in third in 10.05 seconds.

Going by the quality of the athletes on the start line, the winning time of 9.94 seconds was extremely slow.

Apart from the top three, the race also boasted of World U-20 champion, Letsile Tebogo and the second-fastest human being in history, Yohan Blake, among others.

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Omanyala's 2023 season

Before the race, Omanyala had boldly declared he was not losing any 100-metre races this season.

The Commonwealth Champion has had a good season so far, which kicked off with indoor games where he tried his hand at the shorter 60-metre event.

He then won ASA Grand Prix in South Africa before the Continental Tour Gold Meetings in Gaborone and Nairobi. In Rabat, however, he was usurped by Kerley, whom he beat in Kenya last year.

Omanyala also took part in the Atlanta City Games in America, where he raced over the 150-metre distance and came in third after Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton.

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Lyles also trolled his opponents after winning.

Kerley's remarks after Rabat race

Taking to Twitter after the race, Kerley left a cryptic post in reference to Michael Jordan's famous line:

"And I took that personally."

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Fans online are convinced the message was targeted at Omanyala, with many calling Kerley out for boasting over such a slow time.

In the post-match interviews, the 28-year-old quipped that he was the best over the short distance.

"There is no one like me. I am different. Simple."

Fred Kerley vs Marcell Jacobs

The good thing for neutrals is that they won't have to wait for long for a rematch as the Diamond League heads to Florence this Friday.

The Italy meet will also provide the world with an opportunity to watch Kerley take on Olympic champion, Marcell Jacobs for the first time.

Omanyala promises to bounce back

Sports Brief also reported that in a rejoinder on Twitter, Omanyala vowed to bounce back after his setback.

The fastest man in Africa is angling to win the World Athletics Championships in Budapest later this year.

Still exuding confidence, Omanyala said the Diamond League events provided him with perfect preparation.