By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria will have the largest contingent of automatic qualifiers at the 2026 Africa Scrabble Championship after the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) unveiled the recipients of the Wild Card slots for the 16th edition of the continental tournament scheduled for Monrovia, Liberia.
According to a statement signed by Nigeria Scrabble Federation spokesperson, Maxwell Kumoye, seven players earned direct qualification through PANASA’s Wild Card system, with Nigeria claiming four of the coveted slots, while Kenya secured three.
Heading Nigeria’s list is reigning African Scrabble champion Oluwatimilehin Doko, who qualified automatically as the defending continental champion.
Also earning automatic qualification are Cyril Umebiye, President’s Cup champion; Prestige Archibong, the African Under-19 champion; and Sophia Ekeruche, the African Under-15 champion.
Kenya’s representatives are President’s Cup winners Allan Oyende and Nicholas Mbugua, alongside Bernard Amuke, who received the ECASA 2026 Wild Card slot.
PANASA President Adekoyejo Adegbesan explained that Amuke was awarded the ECASA Wild Card as the next eligible finisher because Oyende had already secured automatic qualification through his President’s Cup victory.
Under PANASA’s qualification guidelines, Wild Card slots are reserved for players who have won a PANASA-organized tournament, including sanctioned regional championships, since the conclusion of the previous Africa Scrabble Championship.
The association also clarified that the Wild Card allocations do not affect each country’s championship quota. Participating nations will still be eligible to register up to 15 domestic players and five diaspora players for the continental championship.
Although the seven recipients have earned direct qualification, PANASA stated that they must complete the official tournament registration within the stipulated registration period in line with the competition’s regulations.
The continental governing body congratulated all the qualifiers and expressed confidence that the 16th Africa Scrabble Championship in Monrovia would deliver another memorable edition of Africa’s premier Scrabble tournament.
