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The African Games is a sporting event held once after every four years, which brings together top athletes from all across Africa. The African Union is credited with the organization of the event. There have been a total of 11 editions of the event since its inception, with the most recent of them being the 2015 African Games. Congo’s capital, Brazzaville is the sole city that has hosted more than one edition of the games, as it has organized two editions of the event, the first ever African Games in 1965 and the most recent 2015 African Games.

Top Performing Countries at the African Games

Egypt

Egypt has been featured in all editions of the African Games. The country participated in the inaugural African Games of 1965 as the United Arab Republic, an Egypt-Syria political union. The Egyptian Olympic Committee is the body in charge with the nation’s participation in the African Games. Egypt is the best-performing country at the games, as it has amassed a total of 1,362 medals since the inception of the African Games. Of these medals, 548 of them are gold medals, the most of any country. The country also has the highest number of silver and bronze medals in the competition, with 406 silver and 408 bronze medals. In four editions of the games Egypt has been eclipsed by another country as the top performing nation. The games when Egypt did not perform well, was in the 1978 Games, the 1995 Games, the 1999 Games, and the 2011 Games when Egypt’s medal tally was surpassed by that of Tunisia (1978) and South Africa (1995, 1999, and 2011). Egypt has hosted the African Games once, during the 1991 African Games held in Cairo. During this fifth edition of the event, Egypt garnered the most medals of any participating nation; a total of 195 medals, 90 of which were gold medals.

Nigeria

Nigeria is another nation that has competed in all editions of the African Games. The West African country is one of the top performing countries in the African Games, with a total of 1,078 medals under its belt, the second-highest of any country. Of the medals Nigeria has amassed since the African Games’ first edition, 381 are gold medals, 360 are silver medals, and 337 are bronze medals. The Nigerian Olympic Committee organizes the participation of Nigeria at the African Games. The nation has hosted the African Games once, the 1973 African Games which were held in Lagos. During this edition of the games, Nigerian athletes received a total of 63 medals; 18 gold, 25 silver, and 20 bronze, a feat that was only surpassed by Egypt which amassed 56 medals in total.

South Africa

South Africa has accumulated a total of 787 medals in the African Games, the third highest tally of any nation. Having Africa’s third most medals at the games is an impressive feat considering South Africa has only participated in six editions of the games. South Africa has hosted the African Games once; the 1999 African Games held in Johannesburg. The host nation turned out as the top performer during the event after garnering a total of 184 medals; 71 gold, 64 silver, and 49 bronze. South Africa had replicated its stellar performance during the previous edition of the games; the 1995 African Games which were held in Harare, Zimbabwe where it received 154 medals in total.

Challanges

The African Games has had its share of incidents over the course of its history. The African Games faced its first major challenge in the organizing of the event’s second edition that was scheduled to take place in Bamako, Mali. However, a military coup in Mali prompted organizers to seek for a new venue and settled on Lagos, Nigeria where the games took place in 1973.