2026 CWG: It’s more like an African showdown in the men’s 100m contest… Kanyinsola Ajayi man to beat

By Ben Efe 27.7.2026
Tuesday’s semi-final and final of the 2026 Commonwealth Games men’s 100m contests look like a straight fight for top African sprinters and based on the form book all eyes are on Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi.
Ajayi and a few others like Cameroon’s Emmauel Eseme, Kenya’s Ferndinard Omanyala and Canada’s Jerome Blake had the luxury of drawing bye to the semi-final and athletics enthusiasts are looking forward to the final that bears the resemblance of a World Championships and Olympics finals based on the resume of the athletes that have been lined for the contest even as big names like Oblique Seville are taking a rest at home.
In the heats decided Monday, no runner had the appetite to dig deep and produce a sub 10 as everyone was seemingly focused on saving the best for the last. However, Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati produced a season’s best of 10.00 seconds the fastest time in the heats and compatriot Abdul-Rasheed Saminu had second fastest time of 10.01 seconds. Nigeria’s come-backing Favour Ashe eased to a 10.10 seconds finish, his compatriot Nickolas Fakorede posted 10.21 seconds.
Nigeria and South Africa each have three athletes in the semi-final showdown, while Kenya and Ghana have two each. With a season and personal best of 9.84 seconds Ajayi will face tough contest from the field and he needs only to reproduce his form to dust them twice to clinch his first ever Commonwealth Games gold medal.
Ghana’s Saminu is the other athlete in the pack that has posted 9.84 seconds personal best, a time he did in 2025. South Africa’s Gift Leotlela with 9.87 personal best is also a potential threat to Ajayi; this is not ruling out veterans Omayanyala, Eseme who can spring surprises. Of course, Glasgow offers Ashe Favour another opportunity to prove his recent 9.93 was not a fluke.
Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, Lachlan Kennedy of Australia, Jeremiah Azu of Wales are other athletes who cannot be ruled out of reckoning.
In the women’s semi-final and final Canada’s Sade McCreath with 10.86 seconds season best and Jamaica’s Joniel Smith with a season and personal best of 10.89seconds are the ladies in waiting for the top prize, but they will face good competition from Briton Amy Hunt 10.97 Blessing Ogundiran 10.98 and Rosemary Chukwuma. Nigeria’s junior athlete, Miracle Oluebube Ezechukwu who is making her first appearance at the big stage outside Africa is also staking a claim to be in the final.