The old man dropped the last seed in a hole on the Ayo board and slapped his palm against his thigh with glee – he had just scored a vital point in the game.
According to Yorupedia, Ayo is a Yoruba game “played in a carved wooden box, containing twelve holes (six holes on each side), and forty-eight Ayo seeds (four seeds in each hole).
“Two individuals take turn to play this game, which runs anti clockwise.
“The first player begins by moving seeds from his right hand side to the opponent’s side. If the seed-movement terminates in a hole with three or less Ayo seeds, this player picks up the seeds, and
seeds from preceding holes, if any.
“Players take turn until the seeds are exhausted. The player with upper hand is called Ọta, and the weak or the losing player is called Ope. Spectators’ comments on the direction of the game add colour to the game.
“If a player records three straight wins, he becomes a champion (Ọta), the loser (Ope) quits; a new player takes over. Ayo game requires deep thought, and good strategy to move seeds with the ultimate aim to win. Ayo, a relaxation game is played by menfolk; the meeting point is usually under a big tree with shade or restaurant.”
