Nigerian women are miles ahead of the men in Sports, bringing glory to the nation regularly while we continue to earn undeserved heartbreak from those who should lead the way.
Until Chioma Ajunwa bagged the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta ’96 Games, the men wandered from one bronze to another. Their best was Peter Konyegwachie’s silver medal at Los Angeles ’84.
I am still not happy with President Bola Tinubu for scrapping the post of Sports Minister. While we need the National Sports Commission (NSC), it is not enough reason to cancel the Sports ministry. After all, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) co-exists with the Petroleum Resources ministry.
Considering what the women have achieved in Sports, my hope is that the president will appoint a woman as Sports minister. The ladies appear to have the Midas touch. And they are united, in deed and spirit.
Female members of Tinubu’s cabinet identified fully with the all conquering Super Falcons and D’Tigress. Doris Uzoka – Anite, Hanatu Musawa, Jumoke Oduwole and Imaan Sulaiman – Ibrahim, showed love, even outside our shores.
Let us look at the records. No Nigerian male has won gold at the IAAF World Championships. Tobi Amusan did in 2022, in Eugene Oregon. She also set a world record in the 100 metres hurdles and remains the lone Nigerian winner of the Diamond League trophy (Zurich 2020).
The men did their best but it was not good enough for gold. At the inaugural edition, Helsinki ’83, Ajayi Agbebaku’s Triple Jump bronze was the first medal won by an African. Innocent Ejima Egbunike was damn too hot for gold at Roma ’87 but lost strangely to one German dark horse,Thomas Schonlebe.
The women have shown capacity and stand tall, holding their heads high. Let us juxtapose the Super Falcons with the Super Eagles. The women have won the continental championships 10 times. The men were lucky just thrice.
Falcons have never lost in a WAFCON grand finale. Ten times they played, ten times they lifted the trophy. Eagles lost five times in the AFCON grand finale, 1984, 1988, 1990, 2000 and 2024 respectively. They were only able to win three times, 1980, 1994 and 2013.
Falcons have never lost to the host nation in the grand finale. They shamed Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses, 1-0, right before president Paul Biya in 2016. Sixteen years earlier, they hit Banyana Banyana 2-0. Eagles lost to Desert Foxes of Algeria, 1-0, in 1990 and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, 2-1, in 2024.
Eagles, as hosts rose from 0-2 to 2-2 in the 2000 AFCON grand finale against the Indomitable Lions in Lagos but could not lift the cup. Falcons did the same against their Moroccan hosts in 2025 and ended up as 3-2 winners and champions.
When the Eagles lost to Morocco’s Red Atlas Lions in the 2004 AFCON semifinals, the hosts were managed by a former world champion. Frenchman Roger Lemerre led Les Blues to Confederation Cup glory in 2001. Falcons defeated the Red Atlas Lioness, handled by Jorge Vilda, winner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup with Spain in 2023.
One Falcon, Asisat Oshoala, was named African Woman Footballer of the Year, six times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023). The best from the men is Nwankwo Kanu, who won the Men’s version just twice, a record quite below Perpetua Nkwocha’s four times and at par with Cynthia Uwak’s two times achievement.
D’Tigress have continued to dwarf their male counterparts, D’Tigers. They are undisputed African Queens. The first to win FIBA Afrobasket Championships five times consecutively(2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025). So far, they are seven times African champions. The men were African champions, just once, 2015.
Curiously, Nigeria, the country of Akeem Olajuwon, does not count in men’s basketball. The women played in the quarter finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and coach Rena Wakama was voted Coach of the Tournament by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Ezinne Kalu, voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Afrobasket 2019, has won continental gold four times. Amy Okonkwo became MVP back to back, 2023 and 2025. The men are yet to come any close.
Falcons have played in the quarter finals of the World Cup. Super Eagles have not moved beyond the second round. D’Tigress finished 8th at the FIBA World Cup, Tenerife 2018. D’Tigers are not there yet. In all, women lead in Sports. I feel we should try a woman as Sports minister.
•Emeka is a iconoclastic historian and sports enthusiast.
