The Igbo Jewish community in Nigeria have plans to send a football team to participate at the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel.
Though their participation in the Games meant for all Jewish communities around the world seem uncertain, because they are not recognised by the Israeli authorities, spokesperson of the Igbo Jews team Avraham Ben Avraham said they are hopeful of featuring in the Games for the first time.
“Our vision is to compete in the 2025 Maccabiah and future events. Most players are aged 18–26; 80% are Igbo, and the rest belong to other tribes with Jewish traditions. Our main challenge now is initiating the registration process for the Maccabiah.”
“We face logistical and financial hurdles in sending a team to an international tournament. We’re still figuring out what’s required, but as first-time participants, sending an email to Maccabi World Union won’t suffice. We’re working with a liaison in Israel,” Ben Avraham stated.
The Igbos in Nigeria believe they descendants of Gad, a lost Hebrew tribe. About 0.1 percent of the Igbos observe Jewish holidays, perform circumcisions, wear kippot (head coverings), read from the Torah and observe Jewish fasting days. The Igbo population is estimated at 25-30 million most of whom reside in Nigeria’s Southeast region.
