As 2025 draws to a close, Nigerian sports witnessed a year of contrasts—historic triumphs by women athletes alongside devastating failures by men’s teams and systemic challenges that continue to plague the sector, PETER AKINBO writes

THE GOOD

Super Falcons’ perfect 10

The Super Falcons reaffirmed their supremacy by clinching their 10th WAFCON title with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Morocco in Rabat. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and Jeniffer Echegini’s late winner sealed the triumph. President Tinubu rewarded each player with national honours, landed properties, and $100,000.

D’Tigress’ historic fifth

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team made history by winning a record fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title, defeating Mali 78-64 in Abidjan. The victory extended their unbeaten streak to 29 games over 10 years and secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

Cricket’s golden girls

The Junior Female Yellow Greens rewrote cricket history by finishing sixth at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia, defeating traditional powerhouses New Zealand and Ireland. The run qualified Nigeria automatically for the 2027 tournament.

Amusan’s Tokyo silver

Former world champion Tobi Amusan returned to the podium at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, winning silver in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Flag Football double dominance

Nigeria swept both men’s and women’s titles at the maiden IFAF African Flag Football Championships in Cairo. The women defeated Morocco 26-12, while the men edged Egypt 13-12, securing direct passage to the 2026 World Championships ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles 2028.

Bolaji’s badminton brilliance

The first African to win an Olympic medal in badminton, Eniola Bolaji, built on her 2024 Olympic performance by reaching six international finals in 2025, winning five.

Other triumphs

The Green Falcons reached the IRL Women’s World Series Final in Canada, and Team Nigeria hauled 30 medals at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia—their best-ever performance.

THE BAD

Super Eagles’ World Cup disaster

The most heartbreaking moment came when the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing to DR Congo 4-3 on penalties in the African play-off final. It marked Nigeria’s second consecutive absence and third miss since 1994.

Youth teams’ collective failure

Nigeria’s youth teams endured a disastrous year. The Flamingos exited the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the quarter-finals after losing 4-0 to Italy. The Flying Eagles crashed out in the Round of 16, losing 4-0 to Argentina. Most shocking, the Golden Eaglets—five-time world champions—failed to qualify for the U-17 AFCON for only the second time since 2015.

D’Tigers’ AfroBasket flop

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team managed only fifth place at AfroBasket Angola, exiting in the quarter-finals following a 91-75 defeat to Senegal.

Other disappointments

Nigeria’s bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games was rejected in favour of India’s Ahmedabad. Thirty-four qualified student-athletes missed the World University Games in Germany due to a lack of funds. Sprint star Favour Ofili switched her nationality to Turkey after being controversially left off Nigeria’s Paris Olympics roster despite qualifying.

THE UGLY

Infrastructure crisis exposed

CAF disqualified most Nigerian stadiums from hosting international matches, leaving only Uyo’s Godswill Akpabio Stadium and Abuja’s MKO Abiola Stadium certified. Facilities in Enugu, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt failed to meet standards. Lagos’ National Stadium remained shut after five years of promised repairs, while Teslim Balogun and Agege stadiums stayed closed for nearly five years, forcing 242 football clubs to share only the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

The NFF faced nationwide embarrassment when FIFA used the half-finished Birnin Kebbi Stadium as its profile banner. The facility, co-funded at $1.2 million under FIFA’s Forward Programme, sparked the #SaveNigerianFootball campaign. The twin project in Ugborodo, Delta State, remains largely abandoned amid legal battles between the NFF and contractor Monimichelle Sports, which is suing for N10 billion in damages.

Joshua’s tragic accident

British-Nigerian boxing champion Anthony Joshua was involved in a fatal road accident in Ogun State on December 29 that claimed two lives. The former heavyweight champion sustained minor injuries when his vehicle collided with a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Harvest of deaths

Nigeria lost a significant number of sportsmen and women in 2025, including Peter Rufai, Moses Effiong, Abubakar Lawal, Christian Chukwu, Charles Bassey, Gabriel Olanrewaju, Bosede Momoh, Tade Azeez, Mohammed Abdul and 22 Kano athletes who died en route from the National Sports Festival in May.

THE WAY FORWARD

Former Lagos Governor Babatunde Fashola has advocated for a comprehensive 10-year master plan to address Nigeria’s sports challenges. Speaking at veteran journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography presentation, Fashola rejected quick fixes in favour of sustained commitment.

“We must not look for quick fixes. I subscribe to the idea of a 10-year plan and a decade of commitment to sports development,” Fashola said, describing sports as a hidden solution to youth unemployment.

He outlined five critical reform areas: integrating sports into national development planning, manpower development, infrastructure and transport integration, security and safety at sporting events, and improved governance with clear legal frameworks.

Fashola cited his Lagos experience, where a structured sports calendar from March to December attracted sponsors like Chief Rasak Okoya, FCMB, and Etisalat. “Not only did they produce many talents for state and country, but they revived the interest of old sponsors,” he noted.

Sheriff Hammed, Chairman of Lagos State Judo Association, echoed the sentiments with the need for genuine preparation.

“The Olympics require years of preparation, not just showing up hoping to win. Rather than spending N9bn on poor preparation, we should invest in a five to 10-year plan focusing on grassroots sports, infrastructure, welfare, and capacity development,” he told The PUNCH.

The National Sports Commission has begun implementing reforms through its Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy, aimed at transforming sports into a trillion-naira contributor to the national economy by 2030.

Key initiatives include establishing an Integrity Unit to combat age falsification and ethical misconduct, creating Digital Sports Content Hubs to enhance visibility and commercial opportunities, and launching the National Intermediate Games to bridge the gap between grassroots and elite sports for athletes aged 16-18.

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