Senegal defeated hosts Nigeria 4-1 in the Team final to win the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament in Abuja on Saturday.

Despite falling short in the final, Nigeria showed remarkable progress, improving on its third-place finish in 2023 to claim silver in its debut as tournament host.

The competition, which attracted 11 nations, was held from March 6-8, 2025, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, and also served as a landmark event celebrating ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary.

Benin completed the podium, overpowering Guinea 5-0 in the third-place match, while defending champions Niger was absent due to its exit from ECOWAS.

In the much-anticipated Team final, Nigeria started strong but struggled against Senegal’s more experienced wrestlers.

The Senegalese secured victories in the 66kg, 86kg, 100kg, and 120kg weight categories, while Nigeria managed a single win in the 76kg division.

Meanwhile, Benin dominated Guinea across all weight categories in the third-place matches.

Nigerian wrestlers made their mark in individual categories with NiEbipatei Lienbofa securing gold in the 66kg division after a victory over Senegal’s Safietou Goudiaby, while Ebi Bigos thrilled the home crowd with a hard-fought win over Côte d’Ivoire’s Youin Amy in the 76kg final.

However, Senegal’s dominance in the heavier categories proved decisive. Siny Sembene took gold in the 86kg class after defeating Benin’s Boni Iliassou, while Gora Niang triumphed over Benin’s Yacou Bou Sadath in the 100kg final.

The biggest moment came in the 120kg final, where Senegal’s Ngagne Sene overpowered Guinea’s Gino Nitehala to cap off his country’s triumph. Other podium finishes included Côte d’Ivoire’s Bakoyoko N. Celine Josee securing bronze in the 66kg category, Benin’s Bodirenou Rosine finishing third in the 76kg division, and Nigeria’s Musa Abdoolahi clinching bronze in the 86kg class.

Togo’s Badaro Essorezah edged Guinea Bissau’s Caetano Anthonio for the 100kg bronze, while Ghana’s Issah Fuseini secured third place in the 120kg category.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Francis Chuks Njoaguani, Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre, commended the high level of competition and the unity fostered by the tournament. For their triumph, Senegal received $10,000, while runners-up Nigeria took home $6,000. Third-place finishers Benin were awarded $3,000.

In the individual events, gold medalists earned $2,000, silver medalists received $1,500, and bronze medalists pocketed $1,000.