NIGERIA is set to make history during Pesach 5786 as it hosts the maiden edition of the proposed Pan-African Maccabi Tournament, a landmark multi-sport event bringing together athletes from communities across Africa. Scheduled to take place in Akwa Ibom State in southern Nigeria, the tournament represents a historical turning point in the development of professional Jewish sports on the continent and aligns with the broader vision of strengthening African participation within the global Maccabi movement, which has been going on for nearly a century.
The Pan-African Maccabi Competition is planned as a multi-day sporting festival, featuring various competitive games including football, tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, swimming, and track events such as relay races. The tournament has been intentionally designed to accommodate both talented male and female athletes, reinforcing inclusivity, equal opportunity, and active youth engagement across African Jewish communities.
Football will serve as one of the tournament’s central highlights. Four of the Jewish-owned football teams in the country are set to participate: Harachman FC, Maccabi FC Nigeria (Maccabi FCN), Mehamitzrach FC, and the National Team. If just these four teams show up, the competition will be a round-robin format, with each team playing against the others in the group stage. The top two teams will move on to the final based on the outcomes of the matches, while the remaining teams will compete in a third-place playoff, ensuring meaningful participation and competitive balance for all sides.
Beyond football, female athletes will play a prominent role in the tournament. Young women are expected to compete actively in track events, particularly relay races, which would include 200M and 800M, as well as in badminton, highlighting the growing presence and importance of women in Jewish sports development across Africa. These events will showcase athletic talent and encourage broader female participation in organized sports within Jewish communities. Additionally, these events will foster the establishment of professional women’s teams in various sports like volleyball, basketball, netball, and even football going forward.
The tournament is set to commence on April 5, featuring an opening ceremony at the host stadium venue. Athletes, team officials, community leaders, fans, and invited Maccabi representatives from various regions of Africa will parade in their colors and official flags. The organizers of the games anticipate attendees from over 10 African countries, giving them the opportunity to observe some days of Pesach in Nigeria alongside the sporting activities. The opening ceremony will celebrate unity, cultural pride, and sportsmanship, setting the tone for five days of competition and communal engagement. The sporting activities that will take place throughout the tournament period will no doubt foster interaction, learning, and shared experiences among participants.
In addition to competition, the Pan-African Maccabi Tournament serves a strategic purpose as a talent scouting and development platform. A core objective of the initiative is to prepare African athletes for future participation in the Maccabiah Games in Eretz Israel. By exposing athletes to structured competition and continental-level organization, the tournament aims to raise standards, strengthen discipline, and integrate African Jewish athletes more effectively into the global Maccabi framework.
The event will conclude with a closing ceremony celebrating achievements, recognizing outstanding performances, and reaffirming the long-term vision of sustained Jewish sports development across the continent. Awards and reflections will underscore the tournament’s broader mission—building unity, confidence, and opportunity through sports. The end, which would be coinciding with the final day of Pesach, will feature a banquet to mark the end of the games. There would also be a cultural performance by the women of the Akwa Ibom Jewish organization. During the 5-day period, organizers plan to hold a seminar, workshop, and an official meeting to unveil the proposed Maccabi African Confederation, a continental body that will shape the Jewish sporting revolution in Africa.
To support both the tournament and future initiatives, organizers are developing a dedicated online platform through which intending athletes will be able to register their interest, select the sports they wish to participate in, and receive official updates regarding schedules, venues, and participation guidelines. This platform is expected to play a key role in coordinating athletes across borders and ensuring the sustainability of Pan-African Maccabi activities.
the touchline during a training session in Abuja.
Shortly after returning from Uganda, I met with Yatov Ben Israel in Lagos, spending a couple of days together. Our initial engagement focused on the sorting and distribution of Judaica books to about 30 synagogues in Nigeria, which had arrived from South Africa, generously donated by members of the Jewish community, especially in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Our discussions later expanded to cover ongoing planning, consultations, international coordination, and preparations for the upcoming Pan-African Maccabi Tournament. He hinted about his next travel plans, which were strategic and necessary.
“I will be returning to South Africa to continue consultations with the Maccabi South Africa Union, which will play a significant role in this pilot edition of the Pan-African Maccabi Tournament holding in Nigeria. We are also planning a media visit to Israel as part of our efforts to promote the tournament and canvass for support. With the strength of our networks and the support of partner organizations, preparations to achieve a successful Passover sporting outing are already underway. Let the games begin.”
Against this backdrop of motivation and growing continental collaboration, the phrase “Let the Games Begin” was adopted as the official theme of the Nigeria 5786 sporting festival. If successful, the competition is also intended to lead to the official unveiling and formation of the Maccabi African Confederation, MAC—a continental body envisioned to power a new era in African Jewish sports development and coordination. Without doubt, this inaugural edition is more than a sporting competition; the Pan-African Maccabi Tournament embodies the spirit of Pesach—the Festival of Freedom—symbolizing movement, growth, and new beginnings. It marks the start of a new chapter for Jewish sports in Africa, grounded in unity, opportunity, and a collective continental future.