Africell Sierra Leone has crowned Mike Dudley Johnson as the national champion of its 2026 National Esports Gaming Competition following a thrilling grand final held on Sept. 5 at the AYV complex in Freetown.
Johnson, who represented the northern region, defeated Samuel Jobe of Freetown west in the final to claim the national title. Jobe finished as national first runner-up, while James Sawyer, champion of the south-east region, placed third as national second runner-up.
The top three finalists received cash prizes and will also travel to Angola to represent Sierra Leone. Johnson received NLe20,000 as national champion, while Jobe and Sawyer received NLe10,000 and NLe5,000, respectively.
The competition brought together young gamers from across the country, following regional qualifiers held in the northern, south-east and western regions. Three gamers from each region progressed to the national final, where they competed for the national championship.
The competition was supervised by the Sierra Leone Esports Federation, providing an organised platform for young gamers to showcase their skills while contributing to the growth and recognition of esports as an emerging area of youth talent and entertainment in Sierra Leone.
The national final also highlighted the growing participation of young women in esports, with Agnes Zainab Seray Wurrie making history as the only female competitor at the grand final.
Wurrie delivered a determined performance against her male counterparts and progressed to the semi-final, before her championship campaign came to an end.
Her performance provided a strong demonstration of the increasing participation of female gamers in a sector traditionally dominated by young men.
Beyond the competition itself, the grand final attracted an enthusiastic crowd of players, supporters and spectators.
Fans were invited to make 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 lived up to expectations as both players battled for the national title, but Johnson maintained his composure to secure victory and lift the championship.
For Africell Sierra Leone, the successful conclusion of the National Esports Gaming Competition underscores the company’s continued efforts to connect with young people through technology, entertainment and innovation.
The competition also helped bring esports to a wider audience in Sierra Leone while giving young gamers an opportunity to develop and showcase their talents on a national platform.
With Johnson, Jobe and Sawyer set to travel to Angola to represent Sierra Leone, attention now turns to the country’s young gaming talents and their performance on the international stage.
