12th Fasu Games: How Mordecai Acheampong Overcame Mental Struggles To Win Men's 400m Gold
Mordecai Owusu Acheampong of the University of Ghana secured the men's 400m gold medal at the 12th All Africa University Games in Cairo after producing a composed performance to finish in 46.36 seconds.
The victory came after a challenging period for the Ghanaian quarter miler, who revealed that he had struggled with his mental wellbeing and confidence in the weeks leading up to the Games.
"I was quite down. I was very, very mentally weak," Acheampong recalled.
With his physical preparation already in place, rebuilding his confidence became an important part of his preparation for Cairo. He turned to counselling, which he said helped him regain his mental strength and approach the competition with greater confidence.
"I just boosted my mental strength and my mentality generally," he said.
Trusting The Race Plan
In the 400m final, Acheampong relied on a race strategy built around patience and controlled pacing. Rather than responding to the early movements of the other athletes, he remained relaxed and stayed among the leading four during the opening stages of the race.
His plan was to remain composed through the first 250 metres before increasing his pace over the final 150 metres.
"My plan was to just stick to it, run relaxed, stay behind them and increase my pace in the last 150 metres," he explained.
As the race entered its decisive stage, Acheampong made his move. With 150 metres remaining, he accelerated through the field and crossed the finish line first in 46.36 seconds to claim the continental university title.
The performance added another achievement to a season in which he had continued to improve his 400m performances. His personal best stood at 46.02 seconds, recorded at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium in March 2026.
Acheampong had also recorded a 46.63 second performance at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium in 2025 and won the senior men's 400m at the Accra Open Championships in April 2026.
From University Athletics To The Continental Stage
Acheampong's development in athletics began before his university career. He competed in the men's 400m heats at the 2023 Ghana National Open Championships while representing Inspired by Sports Academy.
By 2024, he was competing nationally for the University of Ghana and continuing to establish himself within the university athletics circuit.
Cairo 2026 marked his first FASU Games, making the gold medal particularly significant. After crossing the finish line, Acheampong celebrated with the Ghanaian flag.
"It meant a lot to me," he said.
He credited his coach, directors, family and the University of Ghana for the support that helped him reach the Games and compete for the continental title.
Looking Beyond The Gold
Despite winning the 400m title in Cairo, Acheampong remains focused on improving his performance and lowering his time.
"I just want to improve more. I just want to be better, just improve upon the time," he said.
The 21 year old Administration student also hopes to pursue athletics professionally, with his ambitions extending beyond university competition.
For Acheampong, the Cairo victory represented more than a medal. After experiencing a period of mental difficulty before the Games, he rebuilt his confidence through counselling, preparation and a renewed belief in his abilities.
That confidence allowed him to remain patient when the race began to unfold, trust the plan he had prepared and produce his strongest effort when the final 150 metres arrived.
His 46.36 second performance secured the gold medal and made Acheampong an All Africa University Games champion.
Source: Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) Original report by: Victor Oluwaseun Olabisi