Favour Ashe recounts challenges at Ghana African Championships

Nigerian sprint star Favour Ashe revealed the chaotic circumstances that disrupted his campaign at the recently concluded African Championships in Athletics in Ghana, admitting that a series of off-track problems left him mentally drained and ultimately cost him a shot at an individual medal.

The 24-year-old arrived at the championships as one of Nigeria’s strongest medal hopes in the men’s 100m after an impressive season on the international circuit. However, what was expected to be a breakthrough tournament quickly turned into a frustrating battle against confusion, appeals, and unexpected setbacks.

Although Ashe eventually missed the podium in the men’s 100m final, he helped Nigeria salvage success by winning silver in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Ashe’s problems began during the heats of the men’s 100m when he was initially disqualified for a false start in controversial circumstances. The Nigerian sprinter explained that he believed the race would be restarted after the incident, only to suddenly discover that he had been handed a red card. Nigeria’s officials were then forced to appeal the decision before Ashe was eventually cleared to run a solo qualification race for a place in the semi-finals.

However, the drama did not end there. Speaking to Making of Champions after the event, Ashe disclosed that both his spikes and competition bibs went missing shortly before his crucial semi-final race, forcing him into a desperate last minute scramble.

“Ashe revealed, “My spike got missing before my 100m semi-finals and my bibs got missing. Also, the false start in the 100m heats took my confidence from 10 to four because we ran the race and I expected them to say we should run again, but they gave me a red card. We had to appeal before I was allowed to come back for the solo race. That was when my spike got missing and I had to look for a bigger spike to run the solo race.”

Despite battling through the emotional and physical disruption, Ashe reached the final of the event but could not recover enough to challenge for gold. Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme won the men’s 100m title, while South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana claimed silver. Nigeria’s Chidera Ezeakor secured bronze, ensuring Team Nigeria still reached the podium in the event.

Although disappointed with the outcome of the individual race, Ashe responded strongly in the men’s 4x100m relay, helping Nigeria secure silver in one of the most competitive races of the championships. Running alongside James Emmanuel, Tejiri Godwin, and Chidera Ezeakor, Ashe anchored a determined Nigerian performance that produced a time of 38.70 seconds.

When reflecting on the relay, Ashe said, “When it comes to the 4x100m, I always want to give my best. I knew I had to set the pace with the first leg and everybody did their job, but I just saw Ivory Coast coming from lane one to win.”

The relay silver added another important medal to Nigeria’s tally at the championships and reinforced Ashe’s reputation as one of the country’s most reliable relay runners. His return to Team Nigeria earlier this year attracted attention after reports linked him with a possible nationality switch to Qatar. However, the sprinter has consistently maintained that his focus remains firmly on representing Nigeria on the international stage.

Despite the difficult experience in Ghana, Ashe’s performances once again demonstrated his resilience and importance to Nigerian athletics, particularly in relay events where his explosive starts continue to give Team Nigeria a significant advantage.