In the realm of Nigerian sports in 2024, we observed a mix of triumphs and setbacks. Noteworthy achievements included Ademola Lookman’s stellar football performances earning him the CAF African Footballer of The Year award, Chiamaka Nnadozie’s consecutive wins as CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, and various Nigerian footballers excelling in European leagues. The Super Eagles’ journey to the 2023 AFCON final, Elizabeth Oshoba’s historic boxing victories, Nigeria’s Under-19 women’s cricket team qualifying for the ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup, D’Tigress’s groundbreaking Olympic performance, and Folashade Oluwafemiayo’s Paralympic records were also highlights.
On the flip side, the Paris Olympics saw Nigeria’s 88-man contingent returning without any medals, along with controversies surrounding Favour Ofili’s omission, doping bans, and Ese Ukpeseraye’s bicycle incident. The brief and tumultuous reign of Finidi George as the Super Eagles’ head coach, Anthony Joshua’s boxing defeat, Nigeria’s U-17 AFCON/World Cup misses, the state of sporting facilities, and D’Tigers’ struggles in the AfroBasket qualifiers added to the year’s disappointments.