Nigeria men’s national hockey team have secured an automatic qualification to the 2023 All African Games in Ghana.
This is coming on the heels after one of the national teams slated to battle for one of two qualifying tickets withdrew from the qualifiers supposedly to hold on Thursday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Three national teams, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, were grouped to battle for two qualifying tickets to the All African Games in the North-West African Qualifier scheduled from 25-30 August.
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However, on Thursday, August 25, the African Hockey Federation (AfHF), who had already constituted a nine-man technical panel including three Nigerians, Agabo Edigo, Itawansa Peter, and Kolo Jibril as AfHF representative, technical official and national umpire respectively for the qualifiers, have canceled the North-West African Qualifier outrightly.
In a statement by the continental governing body, in which Nigeria and Ghana Men’s National Hockey teams have been handed a wildcard entry to the 2023 All African Games, Sierra Leone’s withdrawal was instrumental to the AfHF’s resolve.
“Due to the late withdrawal of Sierra Leone Men’s Team, this tournament was cancelled by the AfHF. Ghana (Men) & Nigeria (Men) are automatically qualified for the AAG 2023 in Accra, Ghana,” AfHF stated.
On the eve of the qualifiers, Sierra Leone filed a withdrawal from the qualifiers.
