The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - 5 Unforgettable Nigerian Sports Moments of 2025

by Devesh Jaganath

image The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - 5 Unforgettable Nigerian Sports Moments of 2025
We are about to turn the calendar on what has been an incredible year, which produced momentous highs as well as a few crushing lows for all types of sports fans across Nigeria. Before we head into another action-packed 12 months, join us as we take a look back at the most memorable moments of 2025.

The Good: Momentous highs in Nigerian sports 

1. Super Falcons Win 10th WAFCON Title

Nigeria’s Women’s national team, the Super Falcons, once again proved why they are the benchmark in women’s football in Africa by claiming their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco in July. Don’t forget to check out our ongoing AFCON 2025 predictions​​​​​​.

The Super Falcons beat Tunisia (3-0), Botswana (1-0) and were held to a goalless draw by Algeria during the group stage. They then went on to oust Zambia (5-0) in the quarter-final before ending Banyana Banyana’s title reign in the semis to set up a blockbuster showdown against Morocco.

It looked as though the trophy was going to remain with the host nation when the Atlas Lionesses took a 2-0 lead in the final, but the Super Falcons pulled off a comeback for the ages, scoring three times in the second half to reclaim the continental crown. 

2. D’Tigress go five in a row in AfroBasket 

In another huge accomplishment for women’s sport in Nigeria, D’Tigress won their fifth consecutive title at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship by beating Mali 78-64 in a thrilling final in Abidjan on August 3. 

That was the first time that any basketball team (men or women) from Africa had ever won five continental crowns in a row. The triumph was D’Tigress’ seventh overall title and took their record to 29 successive wins in the AfroBasket, a streak dating back to 2015!

3. Nigeria make history at ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 

Cricket is not a sport commonly linked with Nigeria, but there are signs of that changing in the coming years after the national Under-19 team announced themselves to the world by beating New Zealand at the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup. 

In their World Cup debut, the Junior Female Yellow Greens defied the betting odds by holding on for a two-wicket victory - their first on the global stage - against the Junior Black Caps after the match was reduced to 13 overs due to a rain interruption. 

The victory was a hat-tip to the increased focus and concerted investment in cricket for female athletes by the sports ministry, such as the establishment of a High Performance Centre in Benin City, which has since served as the training camp for all the nation’s cricket squads. 

The Bad & The Ugly: Heartbreak and painful setbacks 

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4. Super Falcons 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification disaster 

Without a shadow of doubt, the most painful storyline of 2025 came from the Super Eagles, where a combination of inexplicable dropped points, inconsistent selections, and tactical confusion led to Nigeria failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Given the wealth of talent at Eric Chelle’s disposal, including the likes of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi, among others, missing out on the global showpiece was a bitter pill to swallow and a major setback for Nigerian football as a whole. 

The Super Eagles are now trying to make amends in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they have punched their ticket to the last 16 after ending top of their group with a perfect record of three wins from three matches. 

5. Poor showing at 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championship

Nigeria’s star track and field athletes were widely expected to shine at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championship in September, but it was not to be, as the nation returned from the global event with just two medals to show for their efforts. 

The solitary silver for Nigeria was won by Tobi Amusan in the women’s 100m hurdles, where she clocked an impressive time of 12.29 seconds, while Ezekial Nathaniel brought home bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles by setting a new national record of 47.11.