Team Nigeria Seek Olympiad Rebound Against Libya, Suriname

Posted : 24 September 2026

Team Nigeria will look to revive their fortunes at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when the men and women return to action in Round 7 on Wednesday.

The Nigerian teams endured contrasting setbacks in Round 6, with the men suffering a 4-0 defeat to Vietnam and the women losing 3-1 to Austria.

Both sides will now seek improved performances when play begins at 3:00 p.m. local time, with the men facing Libya in the Open section and the women taking on Suriname.

The men's team have accumulated six match points from six rounds, recording three wins and three defeats in their campaign so far.

After losing 3-1 to Cuba in Round 4, Nigeria responded strongly by defeating Malawi 3½-½ in Round 5 before Vietnam halted that momentum with a clean sweep in the following round.

Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke are expected to lead Nigeria's challenge against Libya as the team attempts to regain its competitive rhythm.

Nigeria have a team rating average of 2282, while Libya's average stands at 2034, setting up an encounter in which the Nigerians will seek to translate their higher rating into results across the four boards.

In the women's section, Nigeria will face Suriname after the latter recorded an impressive 3½-½ victory over Malawi in Round 6.

Nigeria, seeded 66th, have six match points from their opening six rounds, while 105th-seeded Suriname have also collected six match points.

The Nigerian women drew 2-2 with the Czech Republic in Round 5 before going down 3-1 to Austria.

Michelle Chiamaka Nwankwo and Bridget Michael secured Nigeria's points against Austria, while Nwankwo remains one of the team's leading performers in Samarkand with 4½ points from six games.

Nwankwo had remained unbeaten through her first five games before suffering her first loss of the competition against Austria's Chiara Polterauer.

With five more rounds remaining after Wednesday's fixtures, Nigeria's two teams still have ample opportunity to strengthen their positions before the Olympiad concludes on Sept. 27.

The immediate task, however, is clear: produce stronger board performances against Libya and Suriname and begin another push up the standings.

Round 7 Fixtures

Men: Nigeria vs Libya

Women: Nigeria vs Suriname

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Team Nigeria Seek Olympiad Rebound Against Libya, Suriname

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