BY ROSEMARY UGIOMOH
Nigeria’s track queen and 100m hurdles world record holder, *Tobi Amusan*, has officially confirmed she will compete at the 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships in Accra.
The six-day event runs from *May 12–17* at the Legon Sports Stadium, marking Ghana’s first time hosting the continental championships in more than 40 years.
Amusan arrives as the undisputed face of Nigerian athletics and one of the continent’s biggest stars. She still holds the *women’s 100m hurdles world record of 12.12 seconds*, set during the 2022 World Championships semifinal in Eugene, Oregon with a legal tailwind of +0.9 m/s. She followed that up hours later with an even faster 12.06 seconds in the final, though that mark didn’t count as a record due to a +2.5 m/s wind. That same 2022 championship made her the *first Nigerian ever to win a world title and set a world record in athletics* when she took gold.
Beyond the world stage, Amusan has dominated African and Commonwealth athletics for nearly a decade. She’s the reigning Commonwealth and African champion in the 100m hurdles, having won back-to-back titles at both meets in 2018 and 2022. She’s also a *two-time African Games champion*, cementing her legacy as the most decorated Nigerian hurdler in history. While the hurdles remain her specialty, Amusan has also competed as a flat sprinter in recent seasons.
She’ll lead a formidable 51-member Team Nigeria contingent to Accra. Among the other headline names making the trip are sprinter Favour Ashe, along with Miracles Ezechukwu, Rosemary Nwankwo, James Taiwo Emmanuel, Patience Okon George, and Ezekiel Asuquo. The squad blends established champions with rising talent as Nigeria looks to assert its dominance on home soil of West Africa.
The championships won’t be a one-country show. Zambia’s *Muzala Samukonga*, 23, is expected to be one of the most watched athletes in the 400m. The Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist announced himself early, winning gold at both the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the African Championships at just 19 years old. Now ranked *ninth in the world in the 400m*, Samukonga brings serious pedigree and will be a major draw for fans in Accra.
Not everyone will be lining up in Ghana. South Africa’s sprint star *Akani Simbine* has confirmed he will skip the championships to prioritize recovery. Speaking to the media in Gaborone, Simbine said the decision came after a heavy competition schedule in recent months. “I’ve been in a lot of competitions lately, so I need some time to rest and get my body right again,” he explained. His absence leaves an opening in the men’s 100m field.
For Ghana, hosting the championships is a milestone moment — the first time the country has staged the event in over four decades. With Amusan’s star power, Samukonga’s rising profile, and Nigeria’s deep squad, Accra is set for a week of high-level competition when the continent converges on the Legon Sports Stadium starting May 12-17.
