PANASA President Adegbesan Backs Nigeria to Retain African Scrabble Crown in Liberia
President of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA), Adekoyejo Adegbesan, has backed Nigeria to retain its African Scrabble Championship title despite the loss of several players who have relocated abroad.
Adegbesan, popularly known as Sheikh, expressed confidence in Nigeria’s strength and depth ahead of the 16th African Scrabble Championship, scheduled to take place in Monrovia, Liberia, from October 22 to 25, 2026.
Nigeria has won 14 of the previous 15 editions of the continental championship, underlining its dominance of Scrabble in Africa.
Although acknowledging the potential impact of losing some experienced players, Adegbesan insisted that Nigeria still has sufficient quality to defend its crown.
“From what I see here today, even though we’ve lost a lot of our players who have relocated outside the country, I still think we have enough to win in Africa,” he said.
However, the PANASA president warned that Nigeria must be prepared for stiff competition, particularly from Uganda and Kenya, whom he identified as the country’s major challengers.
“I’ll put on my non-partisan hat here and say other countries too. Uganda are good as well. Kenya also would participate and would compete,” Adegbesan added.
“I think it’s between those three countries, but Nigeria will still have more than enough to retain their title.”
Adegbesan Impressed With Liberia’s Preparations
Beyond Nigeria’s title defence, Adegbesan expressed satisfaction with Liberia’s preparations to host the continental showpiece.
He commended the Liberian Ministry of Sports for its support for the country’s national Scrabble association, highlighting its involvement in preparations, including efforts to redesign the championship banner and provide assistance towards organising the tournament.
The PANASA president said the level of commitment demonstrated by the authorities had strengthened his confidence in Liberia’s capacity to stage a successful championship.
“Liberia is ready to host, and I think we’ll have the best tournament yet,” he declared.
The tournament will bring together leading Scrabble players from across Africa, with Nigeria seeking to extend its remarkable record while Uganda and Kenya aim to challenge the reigning champions.
Adegbesan’s confidence is underpinned by his longstanding involvement in the sport, having been associated with Scrabble since the 1990s. He is also chairman of Gateway Scrabble Club in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, and the immediate past chairman of the Ogun State Scrabble Association.
PANASA Opens Additional Entry Route for Players
Meanwhile, PANASA has announced an additional entry opportunity for players who missed out on places through the official selection and qualification processes conducted by their respective national associations.
In a statement dated October 9, 2026, the continental body said interested players could apply to participate in the championship under the additional entry category, subject to endorsement by their national Scrabble associations or federations.
PANASA clarified that players would not be permitted to register independently under the arrangement. All applications must be processed through and endorsed by the relevant national body.
The registration fee for participants entering through this category has been fixed at US$300 per player, matching the fee applicable to diaspora players.
The association has urged national federations to communicate the opportunity to their members and facilitate applications from interested players.
The additional entry arrangement provides another pathway for eligible players seeking to compete at the continental championship, although participation remains subject to the stipulated registration and endorsement requirements.
With the competition scheduled for October 22 to 25 in Monrovia, attention will turn to whether Nigeria can maintain its longstanding supremacy against an increasingly competitive African field.
