Nigeria secures four Wild Card spots for 2026 Africa Scrabble Championship

Posted : 01 July 2026

Nigeria has emerged as the biggest beneficiary of the Wild Card allocations for the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship (ASC), with four players earning automatic qualification for the continental tournament scheduled to hold later this year in Monrovia, Liberia.

The Wild Card list, released by the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), features seven players, with Nigeria accounting for more than half of the automatic qualification places, while Kenya secured the remaining three slots.

Reigning African Scrabble champion Oluwatimilehin Doko leads Nigeria's contingent after qualifying automatically as the defending continental champion. He will be joined by Cyril Umebiye, a President's Cup champion, reigning African Under-19 champion Prestige Archibong, and African Under-15 champion Sophia Ekeruche.

Kenya's representatives are President's Cup winners Allan Oyende and Nicholas Mbugua, alongside Bernard Amuke, who secured the ECASA 2026 Wild Card.

PANASA President Adekoyejo Adegbesan explained that Amuke received the ECASA Wild Card after Oyende had already booked an automatic place by winning the President's Cup, making Amuke the next eligible player.

According to PANASA's qualification guidelines, Wild Card slots are reserved for players who have won PANASA-sanctioned competitions, including regional championships, since the conclusion of the last Africa Scrabble Championship.

The association also clarified that the Wild Card recipients are in addition to each country's regular championship quota. Participating nations will still be eligible to register up to 15 home-based players and five diaspora players for the championship.

PANASA, however, noted that all seven Wild Card recipients must complete the official registration process within the stipulated deadline to confirm their participation in the championship.

The continental governing body congratulated the qualifiers and expressed optimism that the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship in Monrovia will once again showcase the best of African scrabble talent.

The strong presence of Nigerian players on the Wild Card list underscores the nation's continued dominance in competitive wordplay across the continent. With elite champions leading the contingent alongside promising youth players, the West African powerhouse is well-positioned for another highly successful outing in Liberia. The coming months will be critical as the qualified athletes finalize their registrations and intensify preparations to defend the prestigious continental crown.

Nigeria secures four Wild Card spots for 2026 Africa Scrabble Championship

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