From continental football triumphs to groundbreaking Paralympic records, Nigerian sports experienced monumental and frustrating highs in 2024. Athletes across various disciplines pushed boundaries, setting new benchmarks and breaking records, while some performances fell short of expectations.
This left fans and sports enthusiasts reflecting on the year’s triumphs and setbacks. Indeed, 2024 resulted from the resilience of Nigerian athletes, whose achievements continue to inspire, even as challenges remain on the path to excellence.
HIGHS
Lookman Reigns Over African Football
When Ademola Lookman was crowned the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year in Marrakech, Morocco, it marked the pinnacle of an extraordinary rise for the 27-year-old Atalanta forward. His achievement made him the seventh Nigerian to win the prestigious award, following Victor Osimhen’s victory in 2023.
Lookman’s remarkable year included three goals and two assists as Nigeria reached their eighth Africa Cup of Nations final, while his historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen secured the UEFA Europa League for Atalanta in May. With this, he became the first African to score a treble in a major European final.
For his Europa League final performance, Lookman earned a rare 10 rating from L’Equipe, a distinction only given 18 times, and one that even five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo never received. Continuing his fine form into the 2024/25 season, Lookman has scored 12 goals and provided five assists across all competitions for Atalanta.
Nnadozie’s Back-to-Back Triumphs
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie’s consistency in 2024 cemented her status as one of the world’s top shot-stoppers. Retaining her CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year title, the Paris FC star played a key role in Nigeria’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and was instrumental in Paris FC’s run to the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Her heroics in penalty shootouts earned her global recognition, and she continued to shine as one of the brightest talents in women’s football.
Victories Across Europe
Nigerian footballers dominated European football in 2024, with standout performances from Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella, who helped Bayer Leverkusen secure their maiden Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal. Despite a four-month injury layoff, Boniface’s 14 goals and eight assists propelled Leverkusen to their first domestic double.
His 21 goals and 10 assists earned him Bundesliga Rookie of the Season honours. In Europe, William Troost-Ekong’s return from injury was crucial in PAOK’s Greek Super League title, while Peter Olayinka’s goals helped Red Star Belgrade secure a domestic double.
Raphael Onyedika played an instrumental role in Club Brugge’s Belgian League title win, and Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho powered Leicester City to a record eighth Championship title. In women’s football, Christy Ucheibe made history with Benfica, winning an unprecedented quadruple, including the Portuguese league and four domestic cups.
Super Eagles’ AFCON Journey
Nigeria’s path to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final showcased its resilience and tactical growth. After a draw against Equatorial Guinea, they beat Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.
In the knockout rounds, they triumphed over Cameroon and Angola before securing a dramatic penalty shootout win over South Africa to reach the final. Although a 2-1 loss to the host nation, Ivory Coast, dashed their title hopes, the Super Eagles’ strong defence and tactical discipline left much to look forward to for the future.
Elizabeth Oshoba Makes History
Elizabeth Oshoba made history in 2024 as Nigeria’s first female boxing world champion. Her journey, from humble beginnings in Tigbo-Ilu, Ogun State, to claiming the IBO female super-featherweight title, captivated fans worldwide.
Oshoba’s dominance in the WBC silver featherweight championship, where she delivered a knockout blow in the tenth round to secure her place in history, marked a significant milestone for Nigerian boxing.
Cricket Queens: Nigeria Makes History
Nigeria’s Under-19 women’s cricket team secured a historic spot at the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup, after an unbeaten run through the qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda. This marks the second time Nigeria has qualified for a World Cup in cricket.
Captain Lucky Piety and her squad, including standout performers Shola Adekunle, Peculiar Agboya, and Anointed Aikigbe, are now poised to make their mark on the global stage.
D’Tigress Shines at the Olympics
D’Tigress achieved a historic feat at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first African basketball team to reach the quarter-finals. Their victory over Australia in the opening game set the tone for a remarkable tournament.
Under coach Rena Wakama, D’Tigress not only climbed four spots in the FIBA world rankings to reach eighth place but also secured their fourth consecutive AfroBasket title earlier in the year.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo’s Paralympic Treble
At the Paris Paralympics, Folashade Oluwafemiayo made history, becoming the first female para-athlete to lift 167kg, breaking her own world record.
With her gold medal already secured at 166kg, she lifted even more, further solidifying her status as a global champion. Her success was part of Nigeria’s broader triumph in para-powerlifting, with Nigeria finishing fourth in the medal standings.
Bolaji’s Badminton Breakthrough
Eniola Bolaji made history as the first African athlete to win a medal in Para-Badminton at the Paralympics. Her bronze medal in the Women’s Singles SL3 category marked a significant achievement, particularly after she came back strong from a semi-final loss to secure the medal.
Bolaji’s performance exemplified determination and skill, adding to Nigeria’s growing prominence in para-sports.
African Games Success: Nigeria’s New Generation
At the 13th African Games in Ghana, Nigeria finished second overall with 120 medals, including 47 golds, 33 silvers, and 40 bronzes.
The Games were a showcase of emerging talents, with athletes like 17-year-old Prestina Ochonogor, 19-year-old Joy Eze, and 21-year-old Olayinka Olajide putting in remarkable performances across multiple disciplines. In weightlifting, Edidiong Umoafia and Ruth Ayodele dominated their categories, signalling a bright future for Nigerian sports.
LOWS
Paris Olympics Disappointment
The woes surrounding Nigerian sports resurfaced when the country’s 88-athlete delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympics failed to secure any medals. This marked the eighth time in Olympic history, dating back to the 1952 Helsinki Games.
Like previous disappointing appearances in Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Mexico 1968, Moscow 1980, Seoul 1988, and London 2012, Team Nigeria’s 88 athletes, spread across 12 sports, left the Paris Games empty-handed.
Several of the country’s top medal contenders failed to meet expectations, including world record holder Tobi Amusan, who didn’t make the final in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Ese Brume placed fifth in the women’s long jump, and Blessing Oborududu also finished outside the podium spots.
The Ofili Controversy
As if the Olympic performance wasn’t disheartening enough, Nigeria’s campaign in Paris was marred by controversies, the most notable being sprinter Favour Ofili’s omission from the women’s 100-meter event, despite having qualified.
The former Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh (now Minister of State for Industry), established an investigative panel to determine the cause of her exclusion, among other issues surrounding the country’s N9bn expenditure on the Games.
The panel blamed Rita Mosindi, the secretary-general of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and Samuel Onikeku, AFN’s technical director, for negligence and poor decision-making during the debacle.
Doping Scandal
Another controversy surrounded lightweight boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore, who faced a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned substance before her opening fight. She tested positive for furosemide, a diuretic listed on WADA’s prohibited substances list, following an out-of-competition doping test.
Borrowed Bicycle Scandal
One of the most misinterpreted situations in 2024 occurred when Nigerian cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye thanked her German counterparts for lending her a bicycle for the keirin and individual sprint events.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, clarified that the German team’s assistance was part of a partnership with Nigeria to ensure Ukpeseraye could compete. However, despite the explanation, the incident underscored Nigeria’s typical shortcomings at the global sports stage.
Finidi-Osimhen Fallout
Between May and June 2024, Nigerian football endured turmoil following the appointment of former international Finidi George as head coach of the Super Eagles. His brief tenure, consisting of only two games, began with a draw against South Africa in a critical 2026 World Cup qualifier, followed by a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic.
This led to his resignation, which was compounded by controversial comments from striker Victor Osimhen on social media, where he suggested Finidi had blamed him for the defeat. The resolution, or lack thereof, by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) remains unclear, and Nigeria’s World Cup qualification hopes hang in the balance.
U-17 AFCON and World Cup Misses
Nigeria’s dominance in the U-17 category seemed to be faltering after failing to qualify for both the 2023 and 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup. Despite winning five U-17 World Cup titles, the Golden Eaglets’ qualification hopes were dashed after their disappointing performance at the WAFU B tournament.
Initially, the NFF announced the team’s qualification after a win over Ghana in the third-place match of the WAFU qualifiers. However, it was later revealed that the victory wasn’t enough to secure their spot.
U-17 AFCON and World Cup Misses
Despite investing millions in refurbishing both the Moshood Abiola National Stadium and the 52-year-old National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria still only has one stadium capable of hosting CAF games: the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Other stadiums across the country are primarily used by local league teams, with no significant role in international competitions.
D’Tigers’ Struggles
Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, the D’Tigers, 2015 AfroBasket champions, hit a new low in 2024 after a disastrous start to their 2025 AfroBasket qualifiers in Tunisia. The team faced financial difficulties and almost withdrew from the competition, arriving late in Tunisia.
Despite this, they lost their first three games against Libya, Uganda, and Cape Verde. With the second phase of the qualifiers set for February 2025, the D’Tigers must show vast improvement to secure their qualification.
Final Thoughts
The highs and lows of Nigerian sports in 2024 underscore the country’s immense potential and the persistent challenges that hinder consistent success. From record-breaking achievements to moments of disappointment, this year has been a reflection of the resilience and determination of Nigerian athletes across various disciplines.
As we celebrate these remarkable accomplishments and reflect on areas for improvement, we also highlight the most trending Nigerian athletes of 2024, whose exceptional performances have defined this year’s sports narrative and set the stage for even greater achievements in 2025.
