From Nigeria’s 24 to Ghana’s 2: A look at Africa’s Commonwealth Games medal race

Some African countries excelled while others struggled at the 2026 Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Games, which ran from July 23 to August 2, 2026, saw several nations perform below expectations, including Ghana, which managed just two medals.

West African rivals Nigeria topped the African medal table with 24 medals overall (10 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze), emerging as the best-performing nation on the continent.

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They were followed by South Africa, who secured 28 medals in total (7 gold, 11 silver, and 10 bronze), while Kenya placed third with 12 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze).

Other African countries also made their mark:

Mauritius finished with 4 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze).

Cameroon won 5 medals (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze).

Uganda claimed 3 medals (2 silver, 1 bronze).

Disappointingly, Ghana placed 8th among the 10 African nations that competed, raising concerns about investment in athletes and sports development.

Ghana’s medal winners included Zinabu Issah, who claimed silver in the women’s T57 shot put, and Amadu Mohammed, who secured bronze in the men’s 55kg boxing event.

Other countries that performed similarly to Ghana were Lesotho, with two bronze medals, and Zambia, also with two bronze medals.

See the medal table below

SB/JKB

Zinabu Issah wins silver at GLASGOW Commonwealth games