The Shameful Export of African Glory: Why Can’t Africa Host Its Own Championship Games?

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In a world where sports serve as both a symbol of national pride and a multi-billion-dollar industry, Africa shamefully continues to be nothing more than a talent supplier and spectator. Our athletes are celebrated in foreign lands, our dancers perform at global halftime shows and our footballers bring in millions to European clubs; but when it comes to hosting the world’s greatest sports championships, Africa is nowhere to be found.

The question is not rhetorical anymore: Why can’t Africa organize and host its own world-class championship games? Must we always dance to the tunes of Europe, America and the Middle East, while begging for inclusion on platforms built with the very muscles of our people?

This is not a logistical problem. This is a psychological, cultural and leadership crisis.

Africa: A Giant Whose Feet Are Tied. Africa, home to 1.4 billion people, has the youth, the energy, the weather, the space and the passion to dominate the global sports scene not just with players, but as organizers, curators and hosts. Yet, major continental sporting events like the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), All-Africa Games and even athletics meets are often plagued with poor funding, last-minute preparations and international ridicule.

Meanwhile, the Middle East is rewriting the sports playbook. Qatar hosted the most expensive World Cup in history in 2022 and Saudi Arabia is now the face of boxing, UFC, Formula One and even wrestling. They built stadiums from scratch, created partnerships with top athletes and are now bidding to host the Olympics.

What do we do in Africa? We wait to be invited. Or worse, we export our best talents to fill up the rosters of European and American sports leagues.

As South African sports analyst Robert Marawa once said:

“Africa’s greatness is undeniable, but our leadership and vision in sports are embarrassingly absent. We keep giving birth to gold but dying in poverty.”

Sports As Business, Not Just Entertainment. The global sports industry was worth $512 billion as of 2023 and continues to grow rapidly. From broadcasting rights to tourism, merchandise, digital media, sponsorships and job creation, the ripple effects of hosting games are massive. Hosting even a mid-size international championship generates billions in revenue and global visibility.

Take the Barcelona 1992 Olympics; before the event, Barcelona was a gritty, underdeveloped port city. After hosting the Olympics, it was reborn into a major global tourist destination. South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup was another case. Despite criticisms, it put the country on the map as a sports and tourism destination and created jobs, infrastructure and business opportunities.

So why can’t Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana or Algeria lead the way in establishing Africa’s own championship legacy?

Our leaders don’t believe in Africa.

Excuses, Excuses and More Excuses. The most common excuses for Africa’s inability to host major games are:

Lack of infrastructure

Security risks

Corruption and mismanagement

Poor planning and organization

These are not permanent obstacles. They are problems created by bad leadership and sustained by apathy. Other continents also faced these challenges. Yet, they rose above them. Africa, on the other hand, seems content with excusing incompetence rather than solving it.

Adewale Ajadi, a Nigerian development strategist, once said:

“We cannot outsource our pride. We cannot wait for Europe or America to validate us. African dignity begins with African ownership.”

From Talent Exporters to Event Organizers. Let us be honest: Africa has always produced talent. From Haile Gebrselassie to Eliud Kipchoge in long-distance running, from Victor Osimhen to Didier Drogba in football, from Francis Ngannou in MMA to Hakeem Olajuwon in basketball, the world celebrates African excellence.

Where are the African-hosted arenas showcasing this excellence?

Why must African boxing champions fight in Vegas or Jeddah?

Why must top African footballers play the UEFA Champions League and not an African Football Super League?

Why must athletes break world records in Zurich, not Nairobi or Lagos?

It is time Africa stopped exporting glory and started hosting greatness.

What Needs to Be Done is to Create the African Championship Games (ACG). A biennial, pan-African event that includes athletics, football, boxing, tennis, wrestling and martial arts. Rotated between capable nations, funded by both public and private sectors.

Establish a Sports Development Fund
Managed by an independent continental body, this fund would provide long-term investment into stadiums, training centers, logistics, athlete welfare and local federations.

Leverage Africa’s Billionaire Class. Men like Aliko Dangote, Patrice Motsepe and Strive Masiyiwa must be challenged to sponsor sports events, build stadiums and support leagues just as their Western counterparts do.

Build Continental Media Powerhouses. Africa must stop relying on foreign broadcasters like Supersport or ESPN. Let us fund continental networks that cover and promote African games across the continent and the diaspora.

Develop Sports Academies and Infrastructure. If Saudi Arabia can build a futuristic city like NEOM, Africa can surely build stadiums, athlete hostels and sports universities.

Involve the African Diaspora. The African diaspora (especially in the U.S. and U.K.) has the skills, funding and media know-how to help build a sustainable sports ecosystem back home.

Time to Wake Up, Africa. Africa does not need foreign validation to be great. What we need is self-respect, unity and vision. The youth of Africa are not LAZY. They are not UNTALENTED. They are just UNDERVALUED and UNDERFUNDED.

We cannot continue to stand on the global podiums with our flags waving high, yet have no stadiums back home to train. It is a contradiction. It is a shame.

As Ghanaian football legend Abedi Pele once said:

“If Africa can produce the best players in the world, then Africa can also host the best tournaments. We just need to believe in ourselves.”

The Final Whistle. Africa’s pride cannot be bought with foreign invitations, medals or television rights. It must be built BRICK by BRICK on AFRICAN SOIL, by AFRICAN HANDS, for AFRICAN PEOPLE.

We can either keep exporting our glory and begging for a seat at someone else’s table or we can BUILD our own TABLE, our own GAMES, our own LEGACY.

The choice is ours.

LET US RISE. LET US HOST. LET US OWN.

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com