The men’s 100m has always been the crown jewel of athletics. It is the event that captures imaginations and stirs national pride.
It is the most unforgiving of races, ten seconds or less to write history, and for twenty years, Ghana has been chasing the ghost of a man who once stood among the world’s fastest.
That man is Aziz Zakari, the last Ghanaian to compete in a World Championship 100m final.
The reminder of his legacy came sharply this past weekend in Tokyo. Benjamin Azamati, once the country’s brightest hope, failed to progress beyond the heats, running 10.30 seconds and finishing sixth in his race.
Saminu ‘fails’ to qualify for 100m finals at World Athletics Championship
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Ghana’s rising star, carried the flag further. He looked sharp in his heat, running 10.09s to advance to the semifinals on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
But when the pressure was at its peak, he faltered just slightly, his 10.08s left him fourth in a brutal semi-final on Sunday, September 14, 2025, with only two automatic qualifiers.
The final went on without a Ghanaian, just as it has in every championship since 2005.
It is here that Zakari’s name re-emerges, not out of nostalgia but necessity. At the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, the sprinter from Accra earned his place among sprinting’s royalty, competing in the 100m final.
The names beside him were giants: Justin Gatlin, who would take gold; Michael Frater of Jamaica; Francis Obikwelu of Portugal.
Lane by lane, they were the sport’s global elite. And yet, in Lane 6, stood Zakari, Ghana’s answer to the question of whether West Africa could still produce a world-class sprinter.
The gun fired, and Zakari surged out, his compact frame churning with determination. He crossed the line eighth in 10.20 seconds, a result that some dismissed as modest but that meant everything for Ghana.
In those fleeting seconds, Zakari had proven that the black-starred vest belonged on the biggest stage of all.
Zakari’s career was built on persistence and resilience. Born in Accra in 1976, he carved his way onto the international scene in the late 1990s, collecting medals at the African Championships and establishing himself as one of the continent’s premier sprinters.
His personal best of 9.99 seconds, also set in 2005, secured his place in the elite sub-10 club, a badge of honour that few athletes ever earn.
He was relentless, competing at three Olympic Games and four World Championships, always pushing the boundaries of Ghanaian sprinting.
Yet the memory of Zakari in Helsinki carries more weight today because of what has not happened since.
In the two decades that have followed, Ghana has produced talent, blistering starts, promising times, record-breaking collegiate runs abroad but no one has cracked the code of reaching another World Championships final.
For Azamati and Saminu, the gap is tantalizingly close. A stumble here, a slow reaction there, and the opportunity is gone. Sprinting at this level does not forgive imperfection.
What Zakari’s run represents, then, is not just history but hope. It is a living benchmark that says Ghanaian sprinters can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best.
His journey from the dusty tracks in Accra to the world stage is a blueprint for what is possible.
The disappointment in Tokyo is real, another championship, another missed chance.
Twenty years on, Zakari’s name is not just a memory but a challenge. Until another Ghanaian lines up in the World Championships 100m final, his run in Helsinki will remain the benchmark.
FKA/JE
Meanwhile, watch as Ghanaians debate the performance of Black Stars coach Otto Addo
