What a good way to finish the 12 months, beating your arch-enemy Ghana 3-1 on mixture to qualify on your first African Nations Championship (CHAN) match in six years.
Bravo to our lads, who made it occur. They went to the primary leg and clawed out a goalless attract Ghana. This faintly jogged my memory of the debacle of 2022, once we misplaced the second leg in Abuja to an away aim draw that the Black Stars pulled off to disclaim us a ticket to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
This time, the Eagles didn’t depart something to probability, racing into an early 3-0 lead within the first half. They broke Ghana and made them really feel the ache we felt two years in the past. Getting one over the neighbours in our endless derby contests is all the time good.
It was a most satisfying year-end present to shut out 2024, a optimistic 12 months for Nigerian soccer internationally. Now, we will sit up for taking part within the CHAN in East Africa early in 2025.
The AFCON – Continental resurgence
2024 was a watershed 12 months for the Tremendous Eagles. They reached the ultimate of the Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan however narrowly misplaced out to the hosts 2-1.
It was our first journey to the ultimate since 2013 once we gained it in Johannesburg. This expertise made us dream once more – a rustic united by the love of the sport.
The Tremendous Eagles took the continent by storm, and our stars shone brightly amid the rib-cracking banter on social media platforms.
We noticed the emergence of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili to the primary place whereas William Ekong and Ademola Lookman starred in that stunning run to the ultimate.
Nonetheless, the Tremendous Eagles have been unable to match their AFCON efficiency within the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the place we path Rwanda, South Africa, Benin and Lesotho. Six extra matches to be performed supply us a glimmer of hope that the Eagles might nonetheless attain their seventh World Cup.
“Getting that FIFA World Cup ticket will set the momentum for a sterling outing on the AFCON in Morocco later within the 12 months,” mentioned NFF president Ibrahim Gusau in a current year-end message.
A return to the Olympics
The Tremendous Falcons scored a candy victory in opposition to reigning Girls’s Africa Cup of Nations champions South Africa, reaching their first Olympic Video games in additional than a decade.
After a formidable second-round end on the 2023 World Cup in Oceania, Nigeria wanted to substantiate their resurgence, and so they did it with grit and willpower.
Whereas they didn’t mild up the Olympics in Paris, the workforce has advanced by shedding outdated gamers to construct for the longer term. After a protracted decade of dominance, Asisat Oshoala’s worldwide profession appears to be winding down as Rasheedat Ajibade leads the workforce into the subsequent WAFCON in Morocco.
The Tremendous Falcons can return to the massive stage and retrieve their misplaced glory from a aggressive discipline that now consists of the South Africans, Moroccans and Zambians, who’ve a potent pressure in reigning Footballer of the 12 months, Barbra Banda.
Now we have misplaced floor on the membership scene, save for an excellent third-place end for Edo Queens on the CAF Girls’s Champions League. It’s time to construct and create a extra stable footing for the ladies’s sport.
I hope that 2025 will convey better achievements for Nigerian soccer, each domestically and internationally.
The present financial difficulties in Nigeria will proceed to impression the game’s development. Therefore, a brand new mind-set that can convey progress regardless of the robust instances is required.
Pleased new 12 months 2025, everybody!
