It’s a new year and in line with our tradition, we take a retrospective look at Nigeria sports in the year just gone bye. Against all odds, 2025 was an unforgettable 12 months in the sporting life of the nation. The year brought moments of great joy, historic achievements and painful disappointments across different sports. Before attention shifts to 2026, here is a look back at some of the most memorable moments of 2025.
The Good:
Historic highs for Nigerian sports
Super Falcons win 10th WAFCON title
Nigeria’s Super Falcons once again showed their dominance in African women’s football by winning a record 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title in Morocco in July.
The Falcons recorded wins over Tunisia and Botswana in the group stage and drew with Algeria. They then defeated Zambia in the quarter-finals before overcoming South Africa in the semi-finals to reach the final.
In a dramatic final against hosts Morocco, Nigeria came from two goals down to win 3-2, scoring three times in the second half to reclaim the continental title.
D’Tigress win fifth straight AfroBasket title
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, made history by winning their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title. They defeated Mali 78-64 in the final in Abidjan on August 3.
The victory was Nigeria’s seventh AfroBasket title overall and marked the first time any African basketball team, male or female, had won the competition five times in a row. It also extended D’Tigress’ unbeaten AfroBasket run to 29 matches, a streak that began in 2015.
Nigeria makes history at ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup
Nigeria’s Under-19 women’s cricket team also made headlines in 2025. In their first-ever appearance at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, the Junior Female Yellow Greens defeated New Zealand by two wickets.
The match was reduced to 13 overs due to rain, but Nigeria held their nerve to record their first World Cup win. The result highlighted the growing investment in women’s cricket, including the establishment of a High Performance Centre in Benin City.
The bad and the ugly:
Super Eagles miss out on 2026 World Cup
The biggest disappointment of the year came from the Super Eagles, who failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dropped points, inconsistent team selections and tactical issues combined to derail Nigeria’s campaign.
Despite having top players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, Nigeria missed out on football’s biggest stage. The team is now seeking redemption at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they qualified for the last 16 after winning all three group matches.
Disappointing outing at World Athletics Championships
Nigeria also struggled at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Expectations were high, but the team returned home with just two medals.
Tobi Amusan won silver in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Ezekiel Nathaniel claimed bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles after setting a new national record.
African Youth Athletics Championships
The African Youth Athletics Championship (officially the CAA U-18/U-20 Championships) took place in Abeokuta, from July 16-20, 2025, at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex. South Africa emerged as the overall winner, with Nigeria securing strong performances, including a historic sweep of women’s sprint medals, showcasing Africa’s top young talent in U18 and U20 categories.
D’Tigers’ disappointing start in 2027 FIBA World Cup race
Nigeria’s D’Tigers face a perilous qualification road to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup after a turbulent first window in Tunis, where they suffered two demoralizing defeats before salvaging a tense overtime victory in their final outing.
With only one win from three games, the former African champions sit third in Group C, keeping their hopes alive but leaving no room for further error.
While there were unforgettable triumphs, the setbacks also served as reminders of the work still needed to achieve consistent success on the global stage.
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