England is in Africa!

Gold Coast: England have been listed as an African nation with capital Banjul in the official programme for the Commonwealth Games` opening ceremony, leaving Gold Coast organisers red-faced.

The $7.70 programme, being sold at newsagents and merchandise tents around the balmy Queensland resort, has England`s population listed at just over two million and their first Commonwealth Games appearance in 1970.

Banjul is the capital of west African nation, The Gambia, which was a late entry to the Gold Coast Games. Organising committee boss Mark Peters said The Gambia`s participation, which was confirmed last month, had led to the printing gaffe.
Both England and The Gambia had taken it in good humour, he said. 

England had also declined the offer of a complete re-print."We went and spoke to England and said that, `Congratulations, the Commonwealth`s changing and it has since Brexit. And part of you is now part of Africa`. Sometimes you make mistakes and we cop it and we spoke to England.

Ghana women`s hockey captain Nafisatu Umaru "humbly" welcomed England as an African nation, prompting a laugh from reporters at the media briefing. "England has made a big impact for us and England is part of our success story," she said. The programme error follows a printing mistake revealed in February that had the wrong day listed for the opening ceremony on some 14,000 tickets sold for the event.