Nigerian sports fans experienced a year of sharp contrasts in 2025. There were sweet victories, and several bitter losses overshadowed the moments of triumph, making it a bittersweet year for the sports industry.
The women’s national team, the Super Falcons, arguably gave Nigerian sports fans the greatest joy in 2025, winning a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco. Just as Nigerians were relishing the Super Falcons’ historic feat, the women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, had an astonishing run at the Women’s AfroBasket 2025, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive title in the Ivory Coast and seventh in total.
But if Nigerian sports fans had thought it was going to be an all-blissful year, they were mistaken. They were hit by the heavy blow of missing out on the biggest sporting event in the world — the FIFA World Cup — for the second consecutive time, having also missed out in 2022.
READ ALSO: Super Falcons Make Phenomenal Comeback Against Morocco To Lift 10th WAFCON Title
What followed were the failures of the national male and female football U-20 and U-17 teams in the competitions they participated in, as well as the failure of the men’s senior basketball team in the AfroBasket 2025, and the poor performance of Nigerian athletes at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Let’s dive in and look at the 2025 sports moments that shook the country, captivated the world, and guaranteed their place in the history books.
1. Fantastic Falcons
The Super Falcons went to Morocco with one thing in mind: Mission X, a campaign to win Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title. It was a mission accomplished in grand style, bringing joy to millions of Nigerian sports fans.
Nigeria kick-started their campaign by defeating Tunisia 3–0 in a Group B encounter, courtesy of goals from Asisat Oshoala, Rinsola Babajide, and Chinwendu Ihezuo.
After that emphatic win over the Carthage Eagles, the Falcons faced Botswana, needing three points to reach the knockout stage.
An 89th-minute close-range strike from Ihezuo broke the Southern Africans and earned victory for Nigeria. Algeria put up a defensive masterclass to hold the Nigerians to a scoreless draw at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
Nigeria dispatched Zambia 5–0 in the quarter-final and edged South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 2–1 in the semi-final to set up a mouth-watering final with host Morocco.
After going behind 2–0 in the first half, the Falcons turned things around in the second half with goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Ijamilusi, and Jennifer Echegini. The win made it a perfect 10-in-10 in finals for Nigeria, reinforcing their stranglehold on women’s football across the continent.
2. Historic D’Tigress
The D’Tigress seemed inspired by the historic feat of the Super Falcons and went ahead to make their own history, making Nigerians even happier.
The D’Tigress started their campaign with a commanding 92–45 victory over Rwanda, followed by a 60–55 win against Mozambique. Nigeria then dispatched Cameroon 83–47 in a dominant quarter-final performance.
The D’Tigress fought hard to beat Senegal 75–68 to earn a final berth against Mali. Nigeria edged out Mali 78–64 in a tense showdown, displaying resilience and composure to claim their seventh AfroBasket title.
3. Super Eagles’ World Cup Disaster
The most heartbreaking event in Nigerian sports in 2025 was the disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign by the Super Eagles, which ended in a 2–1 play-off defeat to DR Congo in November.
Nigeria had lost the sole automatic ticket in Group C to South Africa but managed to reach the African play-off after beating Benin 4–0 in the final group game in Uyo.
The Super Eagles beat Gabon 4–1 in the semi-final of the play-off to book a spot in the final against DR Congo. The game ended 1–1 after normal and extra time, but during penalties, the Leopards of DR Congo overpowered the Super Eagles 4–3 to claim Africa’s sole ticket to the intercontinental play-offs billed for March next year.
4. D’Tigers AfroBasket Fail
Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, only managed to secure fifth place at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket, held in Angola from August 12 to 24.
They exited the competition in the quarter-finals following a 91–75 defeat to Senegal, who later claimed the bronze medal. Host nation Angola emerged champions after a commanding 70–43 victory over Mali in the final, securing their 12th AfroBasket crown.
5. Flying Eagles World Cup Fiasco
Six-time champions Argentina ended Nigeria’s campaign at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, posting a 4–0 win in the Round of 16. The loss brought an end to Nigeria’s tournament run, eliminating the two-time silver medallists.
6. Tokyo 2025 Poor Outing
Nigeria had a poor showing at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, securing only one silver and one bronze medal. Tobi Amusan won Nigeria’s only silver medal in the women’s 100m hurdles with a strong time of 12.29 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel earned bronze in the men’s 400m hurdles, setting a new Nigerian record of 47.11 seconds.
Although Kanyisola Ajayi fell short of winning a medal, he became the first Nigerian man in years to reach the 100m final, clocking 9.93 seconds. Nigeria finished 27th on the medal table with two medals.
While not particularly impressive, it was an improvement from the previous World Championships, where Nigeria had won no medals.
7. Flamingos Crash Out Of World Cup
The Nigerian U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, failed once again in their quest to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. They reached the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams, but Italy scored early to take a 1–0 first-half lead and added three second-half goals, aided by goalkeeping errors, resulting in a 4–0 defeat and elimination.
While 2025 brought historic highs for the Super Falcons and D’Tigress, it was equally marked by heartbreak across men’s football, youth teams, men’s basketball, and athletics, making it a truly emotional year in Nigerian sports.
