Sports
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Nigeria’s Best in 13 Years
Nigeria at the Olympics: Now and in the Past
Nigeria has competed in the Olympics since 1952, but Africa’s most populous country has only a total of 25 medals to show for its efforts.
Three gold medals, ten silver, and twelve bronze medals make up the total. Read on as we run you through some of the country’s 16 Olympics performances, in which 722 competitors were the proud recipients of these awards.
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Based on their previous performances, you’ll be able to rate the countries competing in the future Olympics. Let’s take a look at Nigeria and its Olympic history.
2020 Olympics
The Minister of Youth and Sports said that Team Nigeria’s performance in the recent Games was the “best in the last 13 years.” Minister Sunday Dare rightly believes Nigerians should be proud. Their country finished 74th on the medals table.
The minister called Nigeria’s athletes “amazing” and said the country’s 74th-place finish in the awards table was the best in many years, 13 in fact!
According to The PUNCH, Nigeria finished 68 out of 201 countries in Sydney in 2004, with two 3rd place bronze medals. However, in Tokyo 2020, the Nigerian teams placed 74th out of 205 countries, winning two bronze and a silver medal.
While only five competitors from the Men’s 4 x 100m relay and Men’s 4 x 400m relay got to the finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, 8 athletes from the Men’s 4 x 100m relay and Men’s 4 x 400m relay qualified for the finals in Sydney 2004.
Naming The Athletes
Blessing Oborududu earned the silver medal for Nigeria in Tokyo 2020, while Ese Brume got the bronze. Brume won her maiden Olympic award and Nigeria’s first at these games with a just shy of 7-meter long jump in the final at the Olympic Stadium.
Oborududu, an up-and-coming wrestler, won a silver medal in the women’s freestyle wrestling 68 kg division. Nigeria had not won a medal in wrestling since 1952 when the country first participated in the Olympics.
Nigeria finished 32nd at Atlanta with two gold medals, one silver and three bronze. Here’s a list of the athletes and the medals they won.
Chioma Ajunwa, women’s long jump winner, won a gold medal. Bisi Afolabi, Falilat Ogunkoya, Charity Opara, and Fatima Yusuf won silver, representing Nigeria in the women’s 4400 meters relay.
The football team claimed the gold medal, propelling them into the history books, beating the world’s favourite, Brazil. The team captain Nwankwo Kanu claimed his rightful place as a Nigerian legend.
We know Nigeria can perform but has Nigeria not performed well in the last 3 Olympic games, or are the critics unkind? Let’s look at some of Nigeria’s top moments in its sporting history and shout out these achievements.
Nigeria’s Best at Past Olympic Games
Jim Maiyegun won the country’s first Olympic medal in Tokyo, 1964. Honouring the men’s light-middleweight division, he won bronze.
After that, Nigeria had to wait another eight years until another boxer, Isaac Ikhouria, won bronze in the light heavyweight category at the Munich Games in 1972.
The 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona saw Team Nigeria redeem themselves by capturing three silver and one bronze medal. Boxing and athletics were also sources of these.
August 3, 1996, will live on in the minds of soccer-crazed Nigerians who celebrated their country’s historic first soccer gold medal win in Atlanta’s 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.
In the men’s heavyweight and super-heavyweight divisions, Richard Igbineghu and David Izonritei won silver medals, while the male and female relay teams won medals in the 4100m relay competitions.
Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Chidi Imoh, and Oluyemi Kayode of the men’s quartet earned silver. At the same time, Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali, and Faith Idehen of the women’s four won bronze.
At the Games in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996, Nigeria earned two gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals in unprecedented performances.
On July 29, 1996, Chioma Ajunwa won a gold medal in the country’s first-ever winning women’s Long Jump event with her first jump.
Chioma Ajunwa earned a gold medal in the country’s first-ever women’s long jump event on July 29, 1996, with her first jump.
On August 3, Nigeria’s U-23 squad won a thrilling match against Argentina. Kanu Nwankwo, the team’s captain and scorer of the historic golden goal that beat Brazil in the semi-final, was one of the team’s most well-known members. Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu, and Daniel Amokachi were also on the team.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Team Nigeria had a mixed bag of results. The USA team of Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, Calvin Harrison, and Michael Johnson won the 4x400m relay race ahead of the Nigerian team of Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, the late Sunday Bada, and Enefiok Udo-Obong. Still, the IOC reallocated the gold medal to Nigeria on July 12, 2012, after Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using banned substances in 2008.
In their August 28, 2004 competitions, the Sydney finalists, Aaron Egbele, Deji Aliu, Uchenna Emedolu, Musa Audu, Olusoji Fasuba, James Godday, Saul Weigopwa, and Enefiok Udo-Obong earned two bronze medals.
Another male football team, captained by the late Promise Isaac and managed by Samson Siasia, won silver in Beijing in 2008 after losing to Argentina due to an Angel di Maria goal.
Nigeria has never really shone at the Olympics, but they stepped up their game this year, earning them a ‘well-done’ from the country’s minister of sport.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Super Falcons of Nigeria have been drawn in Group C with Egypt, Zambia and Malawi for the defence of their Women’s’ Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in March, which will be hosted again in Morocco.
Last year, the Nigerian team won the record 10th tournament after defeating the host nation, Morocco, 3-2 in a spectacular final after going down 2-0.
The 2026 edition will be played in Morocco from March 17-April 3, eight months after the last tournament.
The last edition slated for 2024 was postponed by a year for logistical reasons as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) could not get interested hosts.
The next edition which will be the 14th edition and Nigeria will be hoping to win the women’s tournament for the 11th time.
Nigeria’s dominance is only rivalled by Equatorial Guinea which won as hosts of the 2008 and 2012 editions. South Africa won the 2022 edition to become the third African nation to ever win the tournament.
The next edition carries added importance because it serves as qualifying for next year’s Women’s World Cup, with the top four finishers taking up Africa’s slots in the global tournament to be hosted by Brazil.
GROUPS
Group A (Rabat Moulay Hassan Stadium): Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Kenya,
Group B (Rabat Al Madina Stadium): South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Tanzania
Group C (Casablanca): Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Malawi
Group D (Fes): Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cape Verde.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Chairman of BUA Group, Mr Abdul Samad Rabiu, has reaffirmed his commitment to reward the Super Eagles with the promised $500,000 despite losing the semi-final match against Morocco in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday night.
The Nigerian senior national football team lost the tie against Morocco 4-2 on penalties after both sides failed to break the deadlock after 120 minutes.
In a post on his official Instagram on Thursday, the billionaire industrialist commended the football team for their determination and unity throughout the competition.
Mr Rabiu said the players displayed admirable grit and commitment on the field, adding that although the trophy eluded them, their performance inspired pride and admiration among Nigerians at home and abroad.
“To our brave Super Eagles, You fought with your hearts, gave your all, and showed true courage and determination on the pitch. Though it wasn’t meant to be this time, you have made every Nigerian proud.
“Sometimes, even our best efforts don’t bring the outcome we hope for, but the spirit, passion, and unity you displayed are what truly matter. You left everything on the field, and that is worthy of celebration.
“As a token of appreciation for your remarkable journey and effort, I am still going ahead to fulfill the pledge of $500,000. This is in recognition of your hard work, dedication, and the joy you have brought to our nation.
“Keep your heads high, Super Eagles – the experience, lessons, and spirit will fuel even greater success next time. Nigeria will always be proud of you, and we believe in your future victories!” the statement read.
Nigeria failed to advance to the final of the 2025 AFCON yesterday after losing to Morocco’s Atlas Lions in a tense penalty shootout, a result that sent the North African side through to the final.
Moroccan goalkeeper, Yacine Bounou saved kicks from both Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to convert the winning kick and spark wild celebrations inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Nigeria will play Egypt in the bronze medal match on Sunday, January 18 while Morocco will face 2021 winners, Senegal for the chance to win the trophy for the first time in 50 years.
Midweek football delivers decisive moments across three competitions as the Carabao Cup reaches the semi-final in England, Serie A’s title contenders play their games in hand, and the Africa Cup of Nations narrows down to its final two. Fans can follow every fixture live on SuperSport across DStv and GOtv.
Carabao Cup: Semi-Final Second Legs Decide Wembley Places
The Carabao Cup semi-finals conclude with two heavyweight fixtures as clubs push for a place in the final at Wembley.
On Tuesday at 9:00 p.m., Newcastle host Man City at St James’ Park. Newcastle enter the second leg as defending Carabao Cup champions and come into the tie in strong domestic form, having recorded three straight league wins and progressed in the FA Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Bournemouth.
City arrive after a heavy FA Cup win against Exeter City but are still searching for consistency in the league following a run of draws. Both sides have navigated the competition efficiently so far, setting up a finely balanced contest.
Wednesday’s second semi-final sees Chelsea host Arsenal at 9:00 p.m. Chelsea begin the second leg under new manager Liam Rosenior after a convincing FA Cup victory over Charlton, though league form has been less consistent following a recent defeat to Fulham.
Arsenal, meanwhile, arrive as Premier League leaders and remain active in all major competitions this season. Their FA Cup win over Portsmouth maintained momentum as they look to secure a return to Wembley.
Both Carabao Cup semi-final matches air live on SS Premier League (GOtv Ch. 65, DStv Ch. 203).
Serie A: Games in Hand Shape the Title Race
Serie A’s midweek programme features three fixtures involving clubs playing their game in hand, with implications at both ends of the table.
On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Napoli host Parma. Napoli were held to a draw by Inter Milan in their previous outing and sit fourth, level on points with Juventus. With other contenders also in action, a win could lift them further up the standings. Parma arrive after a narrow victory over Lecce and continue to look upward from mid-table.
Later on Wednesday at 8:45 p.m., leaders Inter Milan face Lecce at the San Siro. Inter saw their winning run halted by Napoli but remain three points clear at the top. Lecce arrive having suffered consecutive defeats and will be aiming to secure a positive result in a difficult away fixture.
Thursday’s action concludes at 8:45 p.m. as AC Milan travel to face Como. Milan sit second but have been held to back-to-back draws and will be seeking a return to winning form. Como, coached by Cesc Fàbregas, have impressed this season and sit sixth, boasting one of the league’s strongest defensive records.
All Serie A fixtures are broadcast live on SS Africa 2 (GOtv Ch. 64, DStv Ch. 208).
AFCON 2025: Semi-Finals Decide Finalists
The Africa Cup of Nations reaches its penultimate stage with two semi-final clashes scheduled for Wednesday.
Senegal face Egypt at 6:00 p.m. in Tangier in a renewal of a recent AFCON rivalry. Senegal, winners of the 2021 edition, have progressed with control and balance, while Egypt have relied on resilience and decisive moments in the knockout rounds. The matchup once again brings together key figures from both sides as a place in the final is at stake.
Later at 9:00 p.m., Nigeria meet hosts Morocco in Rabat. Nigeria advanced after a disciplined quarter-final performance, while Morocco continue to combine defensive organisation with efficiency in attack. With home support behind them, Morocco face a Nigerian side that has shown attacking consistency throughout the tournament.
Both AFCON semi-finals air live on SS AFCON (GOtv Ch. 59, DStv Ch. 202).
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