Nigeria’s Chidi Okezie shocked the field, including African and Commonwealth Games champion Muzala Samukonga, to win the men’s 400m title at the African Games – Accra 2023.
Okezie, who won the bronze medal in Rabat in 2019, caught up with race favourite Samukonga as they approached the 200m curve and powered down the home straight to secure the gold medal with a personal best time of 45.06 secs.
The Zambian had to settle for the silver with a time of 45.37, while Senegal’s Cheikh Tidiane Diouf took the bronze in 45.49, just 0.01 shy of his lifetime best.
In the women’s race, world champion Mary Moraa, who moved down to the 400m from the 800m, sneaked past Nigeria’s Esther Elo Joseph to take the title in 50.57 secs.
Debutant Joseph put up an impressive performance to take the silver medal in a lifetime best of 51.61 while Burkina Faso’s Sita Sibiri set a national record of 51.74 to claim the bronze medal.
In other events…
Aron Cheminingwa led a Kenyan 1-2 home in the men’s 800m finals, clocking 1:45.72 for victory ahead of 2018 world U20 silver medallist Alex Ngeno Kipngetich, who took silver in 1:45.73. Botswana’s Tumo Nkape settled for bronze in a PB of 1:46.04.
Earlier in the morning, Kenya, Ethiopia and Algeria produced the top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s 20km race walk events.
Kenya’s Emily Ngii retained the women’s title, crossing the finish tape in front of the University of Ghana stadium in 1:37:34. Ethiopia’s Teshager Sintayehu Masire (1:38.07) and Algerian Souad Azzi (1:45:42) finished in silver and bronze medal positions respectively.
Ethiopia’s Misgana Wakuma Fekansa, the African U20 10,000m race walk champion, won the men’s gold in 1:28:05, edging out three-time African champion Samuel Gathimba of Kenya to second in 1:28.06. Algerian Ismail Benhammouda (1:31:12) finished third.