Team Nigeria came third in the 2022 Men’s Hockey Africa Cup of Nations held at the Theodoisa Okoh Hockey Stadium in Accra, Ghana.
The 11th edition of the Men’s Hockey Africa Cup of Nations, the quadrennial international men”s field hockey championship of Africa was organized by the Africa Hockey Federation.
Nigeria men’s hockey team made history at the tournament in Ghana after their victory over Kenya. Goals from Godwin Sunday, Sunday Emmanuel, Ibrahim Benjamin and Samaila James helped Nigeria to a 4,–2 win against Kenya.
The win put Nigeria on the podium for the first time in history having failed to achieve this feat in the previous tournaments.
The bronze winning Team Nigeria comprise several players from Oyo State who featured prominently for the Nigeria Team at the tournament.
The players include, Olawale Ajibua, Oluwatosin Fowobaje, Ezekiel Faluyi, Olayinka Jaiyeola, Muiz Bello, Godwin Sunday, and Emmanuel Sunday, while Coach Oluyemi Siyanbola accompanied the team to the tournament.
In the final ranking of the first to fourth place classifications, South Africa emerged first, Egypt came second while Nigeria won the third position. And Kenya bagged the fourth position.
The South African hockey team which came first in the tournament have consequently qualified for the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup that is scheduled to hold at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and at the 20,000 seat Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium on Rourkela, India from 13 to 29 January, 2023.
