African Games: Ghana Hands Back to Back Defeats to Nigeria in Men and Women’s Hockey

• Ghana grabbed the bragging rights from Nigeria in hockey at the African Games
• Both the men's and women's sides beat their West African rivals by 1-0 margin
• The host of the African Games will hope to bag a medal in the competition

Ghana asserted their dominance over Nigeria in the Western African derby at the ongoing 2023 African Games, with both the men's and women's hockey teams securing narrow victories.

Dubbed the Black Sticks, Ghana's teams in both categories clinched identical 1-0 wins against their arch-rivals within a span of just 24 hours.

Hockey: Ghana hands back-to-back losses to Nigeria

According to Myjoyonline, the men's team initiated the triumph with a dramatic late goal from Damalie Luke, securing a hard-fought victory.

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Following suit, the women's team sealed the double over Nigeria, with Mavis Berko's decisive strike ensuring another triumph for Ghana.

What's next for Ghana?

These victories proved to be auspicious for Ghana's male hockey team, who secured their second consecutive win in the competition by defeating Kenya.

This propelled them to the top of their group with six points.

Meanwhile, the women's team's success has propelled them to the finals, where they aim to bolster Ghana's medal count by contending for the country's first-ever gold medal after previously settling for bronze.

South Africa withdraws from hockey competition

In a disappointing development at the 13th edition of the African Games, South Africa's hockey teams, anticipated to contend for gold in both the men's and women's events, will depart without participating in any matches, as noted by Sports Brief.

Their absence casts a shadow over an otherwise well-organized African Games held in Accra, Ghana.

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Hockey: Why did Team SA withdraw from African Games?

Reports suggest that their abrupt withdrawal stems from concerns regarding the suitability of the playing surface for international competition.

South Africa's men's and women's teams hold the top rankings in Africa, with the men placed 14th globally, four spots ahead of Egypt, and the women ranked 18th, leading their closest African competitors, Kenya, by 12 places, according to the FIH (International Hockey Federation).

SA Hockey sought counsel from an FIH-accredited company responsible for laying hockey carpets back home. Their evaluation, based on photographs provided by the federation, led to the decision to withdraw from the tournament.

Ghana dominates in arm wrestling

In other sporting disciplines, Team Ghana made a significant impact in arm wrestling, amassing an impressive 40 medals during the ongoing 2023 African Games in Accra, as reported by Sports Brief.

Over the course of the two-day event, Ghana secured 21 medals on the first day, including four gold, 10 silver, and seven bronze.

They continued their success on Saturday, March 16, adding four more gold, nine silver, and six bronze medals to reach a total tally of 40.