The Ghana eSports team for FIFA came in third place in the 2023 Orange eSports Experience competition held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Ghana returned from the tournament held from January 27 to 29, 2023 with a coveted bronze medal.
Ghana were on the cusp of a historic final spot until they fell to Egypt in the semi-finals. The players however made up for the disappointment with a 3-0 victory over host, Ivory Coast in the third-place play-off.
In the tournament, the Ghanaian gamers showed promising performances in FIFA, PES and Street Fight.
Igor Boumekpo, the President of E-sports Ghana Federation expressed excitement with the achievement and commended his players for putting up a good show in Ivory Coast.
He is confident that the success in Ivory Coast will serve as the platform for growth and development of the sport.
He describes the achievement as a historic moment that will serve as a stimulant for the gamers in future tournaments.
“This is history for Ghana Esports, there is hope for every esports athlete In Africa, specially Ghana. For the first time in the history of Ghana, we are so proud to be part of the map. This should motivate every athlete in Africa most importantly Ghana. This award will improve esports in Ghana.
“This aspect of Sports in Ghana especially has been almost neglected or relegated as an afterthought for some time now. However, it is worth to note that with the heightened exposure and integration of social media and the advent of next-generation gaming consoles and technology in this era, E-Gaming is slowly gaining traction globally.
Many nations recognized early the value of e-gaming and invested immensely in developing pro-gaming personnel and other associated features.
“Hopefully, this achievement may serve a breath of fresh air into the industry to allow for early recognition and nurturing of like talent out there,” he said.
He further appealed to corporate institutions and benevolent Ghanaians to partner the association for the growth of the sport.
“I would like to take the opportunity to appeal to the associated firms and organizations regarding esports and Sports as a whole in Ghana to center some focus on E-gaming in Ghana.
“There is a big stage out there and we have the opportunity to excel and be identified as an esports powerhouse in Africa and in the world as a whole. Ghana Esports Federation is determined to lift high the flag of Ghana on the esports stage globally, “ he said.
Ghana,Ivory Coast, Mali, Benin, DR Congo, Central Africa, Senegal, Morocco ,Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Guinne Madagascar and Tunisia are the 14 countries who participated in the tournament.
Egypt picked the gold as champions of the tournament with Cameroon coming second, earning the silver medal.
