Ajayi Keeps Nigeria’s Historic 100m Gold Dream Alive in Glasgow, Omanyala Suffers Shock Exit
Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi kept alive the country’s quest for a first-ever Commonwealth Games men’s 100m title after producing another outstanding run to qualify for Tuesday night’s final at the Glasgow 2026 Games.
Ajayi won the second semi-final in 9.94 seconds, comfortably securing one of the two automatic qualifying places and emerging as Nigeria’s only representative in the blue-riband final after compatriots Favour Ashe and Adekalu Nicholas Fakorede narrowly missed out.
The 21-year-old will now bid to become the first Nigerian man to win the Commonwealth Games 100m title and the country’s first medallist in the event since Olusoji Fasuba claimed silver behind Jamaica’s Asafa Powell at Melbourne 2006.
Ashe’s hopes ended in the opening semi-final despite clocking a respectable 10.07 seconds. The Nigerian finished fifth behind Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who equalled the Games record with a blistering 9.89 seconds, Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy (9.94), Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati (10.00) and South Africa’s Cheswill Johnson (10.05).
Fakorede came agonisingly close to joining Ajayi in the final after running 10.06 seconds in the third semi-final.
However, he finished fourth behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlela (10.02), Australia’s Edward Nketia (10.03) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, who was also credited with 10.06 seconds but edged the Nigerian on the photo finish.
The semi-finals also produced one of the biggest surprises of the competition as defending champion Ferdinand Omanyala failed to reach the final.
The Kenyan finished sixth in the second semi-final in 10.19 seconds, ending his hopes of becoming the first African man to successfully defend the Commonwealth Games 100m title.
Omanyala had been chasing a place in history as only the third man ever to retain the Commonwealth Games 100m crown after Jamaica’s Don Quarrie, who won three consecutive titles between 1970 and 1978, and Britain’s Linford Christie, who triumphed in 1990 and 1994.
His early exit leaves the men’s 100m title wide open, with Ajayi now carrying Nigeria’s hopes of making history in the final.
