Ghana and Two African Countries to Win Medals in Football at the Olympic Games

Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon are the three African countries to win medals in football at the Olympic Games.

Africa has a rich record in football at the Olympic Games and it will even get better with the continent guaranteed at least bronze in Paris 2024. Egypt and Morocco are the latest countries from Africa to reach the semi-final of the multi-sport competition following their success at the competition in France. Egypt will face France in the semi-final while Morocco, who tore apart the USA in the quarter-final with a 4-0 victory, engages Spain. Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon are the three African countries to win medals in football at the Olympic Games. At previous Olympic Games, the likes of Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon reached the semi-finals, ending up making history.  TUKO.co.ke looks at Africa’s medals in football at the Olympic Games.

Ghana – Bronze Ghana’s Black Meteors became the first country on the continent to win a medal at the Olympic Games after securing bronze in Barcelona in 1992. The West African football powerhouse defeated Australia in the third and fourth-place game to end up on the podium. Ghana were also the first African nation to reach the semis of the Olympic Games in Football. Nigeria – Gold, Silver and Bronze The Dream Team of Nigeria remains the most successful African nation at the Olympic Games in Men’s football. Nigeria went a step beyond what Ghana did four years earlier after winning gold at Atlanta in 1996, with Nwankwo Kanu starring as the West Africans beat Argentina in the final.  They had to wait till 2008 to return to the podium, and this time it was revenge for the South Americans, who defeated Nigeria with a star-studded team that had Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero. Again, it took them another eight years to finish on the podium, winning bronze in the third and fourth game at Rio 2016. Cameroon – Gold Cameroon were the team to beat in Africa and at large the world following the emergence of the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Patrick Mboma.

In 2000, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, the Central Africans surprised Spain in the final to win gold. Egypt and Morocco reach semis Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that Africa will have at least a medal in Men’s football at the Olympic Games in Paris after Morocco and Egypt reached the semi-finals of the multi-sport competitions. Morocco tore apart the United States, beating them 4-0 to book a date with Spain while Egypt defeated Paraguay 5-4 on penalties in the quarter-final. The Pharaohs will face hosts France on Tuesday in the semi-final. 

by  Celine Nyambura