Team Nigeria has successfully won its protest over the controversial disqualification of Favour Ashe at the 2026 African Athletics Championships in Accra, Ghana.
The Nigerian sprint star was initially disqualified during the men’s 100m heats after officials ruled him out for a false start.
However, officials later reviewed the situation after Nigeria challenged the decision, arguing that the repeated malfunctioning of the starting gun contributed to the confusion during the race.
Nigeria overturns controversial decision
Following the appeal, organisers accepted Nigeria’s protest and offered Ashe a rare opportunity to compete in a solo race later on Tuesday evening.
The special run will determine whether the Nigerian sprinter qualifies for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m event.
The dramatic turnaround has provided fresh hope for one of Nigeria’s top medal contenders in Accra.
Tobi Amusan dominates hurdles heats
Elsewhere, Tobi Amusan continued her strong form after storming to victory in her women’s 100m hurdles heat with an unofficial time of 12.82 seconds.
The world-class hurdler finished with the fastest time across the heats, underlining her status as one of the favourites for gold.
More Nigerians advance in Accra
Nigeria also recorded positive results in other events:
- Esther Okon advanced to the next round of the women’s 400m after finishing second in her heat.
- Sikiru Adeyemi placed third in his men’s 400m heat behind Kenyan champion George Mutinda.
With several Nigerian athletes progressing, Team Nigeria’s medal hopes at the championships remain alive and strong.
