Gaming Champion
By: Francis Kargbo – Media Relations Intern
Africell Sierra Leone has successfully concluded its National Esports Gaming
Competition Saturday, 5th September 2026 at the AYV Complex, bringing together some of the country’s most talented young gamers in a highly competitive national final that saw Mike Dudley Johnson emerge as the overall champion. The competition, which attracted young gamers from across Sierra Leone, ended with an exciting showdown between players who had battled through regional qualifiers for the opportunity to compete for the national crown.
Johnson, who represented the Northern Region, secured the championship after
defeating Samuel Jobe of Freetown West in the final. Jobe finished as the National First Runner-Up, while James Sawyer, the champion from the South-East Region, took third place as the National Second Runner-Up. The top three finalists were rewarded with cash prizes and the opportunity to travel to Angola to represent Sierra Leone, with the national champion receiving NLe20, 000, the first runner-up NLe10, 000 and the second runner-up NLe5, 000.
The road to the national final saw the competition spread across the Northern, South
East and Western regions, giving young gamers from different parts of the country
the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and compete at a higher level. Three qualifiers from each region progressed to the national stage, where they faced each other in a final battle for national honours. The competition was supervised by the Sierra Leone Esports Federation, providing an organised and competitive platform for the players while helping to promote esports as an emerging area of youth talent and entertainment in Sierra Leone.
The national grand final also highlighted the growing participation of young women
in gaming, with Agnes Zainab Seray Wurrie making history as the only female competitor at the national final. Wurrie put up a determined performance against her male counterparts and progressed as far as the semi-final, before her journey to the championship came to an end. Her performance, however, demonstrated that female gamers are increasingly taking their place in a space traditionally dominated by
young men.
Beyond the competition itself, the grand final created an atmosphere of excitement among players, supporters and spectators. The crowd joined in the action by making predictions ahead of the decisive final between Johnson and Jobe, with spectators whose predictions proved correct rewarded with 2GB of free Africell data. The final eventually lived up to expectations as both players brought their best game, but Johnson maintained his composure to claim the national title.
For Africell Sierra Leone, the successful conclusion of the Esports National Gaming
Competition reflects its continued interest in creating platforms that connect with
young people through technology, entertainment and innovation. The competition
has not only provided gamers with an opportunity to showcase their abilities but has
also helped introduce esports to a wider audience across the country. With Johnson,
Jobe and Sawyer now set to travel to Angola to represent Sierra Leone, attention will turn to how the country’s young gaming talents perform on the international stage.
