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A lot of people will argue it was a decent year for Nigerian football.
The Super Eagles kicked off the year with a very impressive outing at the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast.
Led by Jose Peseiro, the three-time African champions saw off continental rivals like South Africa, Angola and Cameroon enroute the final.
Despite taking the lead against the hosts in that final, the Eagles eventually lost 2-1, failing to add to their three AFCONs.
Wale Agbede, the Head of Sports at Plus TV, looks back at 2024 as a year of backward steps.
“I think that Nigerian football has taken a nosedive,” Agbede said.
“That is not to say it was always rosy. But it has taken a setback with the national teams and the clubs.
“If you start with the NPFL, the league has been going on quite smoothly. The scheduling the league has been enjoying for the past two years is good.
“But we are still seeing some of the problems that have plagued the league over the years. Bad pitches, bad officiating, poor welfare for the players.
“The quality of the league has dropped a lot. You can barely point to three or four players in the NPFL who are doing very well.
“At the national team level, it has been a struggle to pick local-based players to represent the Super Eagles. Because there was a dearth of real quality. And that is not to say the league has always produced world beaters. But there was always a conversation around players in some clubs.
“For the national team, we have recorded a lot of interesting results. And I use the word interesting mildly.
“There has been a lot of conversation about who is managing the Super Eagles and it still persists today.
“There was (Austine) Eguavoen and then there was Finidi George, who the NFF insisted had not resigned.
“But we haven’t seen him since, until he popped up and is now managing a domestic game.
“There was the issue with Bruno Labbadia, who we had seemingly struck a deal with. But we were in such a hurry to announce it, even though there were finer details of the contract to sort out.
“You add that to the losses that we have suffered this year, especially in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. That World Cup will be played in the US and Canada. And that is one tournament every country in the world wants to be at. The biggest African country should want to be at that tournament. But it seems we are fluffing it.
“You go to the age-grade competitions and we haven’t shown much. The Super Falcons continue their decline.
“They used to be the dominant force in African women’s football. But that decline persisted, with several poor results and scraping wins.
“There has also been all the drama with whether Oshoala is in or out. But there has also been the emergence of Rasheedat Ajibade and she has been a de-facto leader for the team.
“It has just been topsy-turvy for Nigerian football,” he further stated.
Agbede is quick to add that it has not been all negative, noting that some of Nigeria’s attackers have become shining lights on the global stage and have been recognized accordingly.
“Our players have been in the spotlight in Europe this year.
“Victor Osimhen was one of the biggest stories of the summer transfer market, with what would have been a move to Chelsea. But he ended up going to Galatasaray on loan.
“Victor Boniface had a fantastic season with Bayer Leverkusen, where he led the line and helped them win the Bundesliga.
“Then he played in the Europa League final, where they faced another Nigerian Ademola Lookman, who eventually ended up as the CAF Player of the Year,” Agbede adds.
What to look forward to in 2025?
“I think we should be looking forward to more of the same. And I say that because on the domestic front, I don’t know what is going to cause an upward change in how the league is run or played and its perception.
“Even if there’s going to be any change, I expect it to be marginal.
“For the national teams, there seems to be a real struggle. Part of it is down to finances, to secure those who the people running our game would prefer in charge. They just cannot afford to hire foreigners or coaches in the top echelon.
“I expect the Super Falcons to continue to decline. I don’t think they are even dominant enough. There was a clear plan for how players were progressing into the team. From Edo Queens to Rivers Angels to Robo FC. It was like a conduit, a supply chain.
“Cameroon and Morocco, what those guys are doing with football, we are playing catch up. Which is why it is not a surprise that our best players were born abroad. The local supply chain is drying up, because there has been no forward thinking or development.
“The Super Eagles just have to improve. They have the ability and the personnel. Especially with the World Cup qualifiers. So I would be expecting them to improve.
“The only glimmer of hope that people in the sports community are clinging onto going into next year, is that the present administration has disbanded the Ministry of Sports.
“And now, sports is being run by the National Sports Commission, which is being led by people who supposedly know sports – Shehu Dikko, who is the former chairman of the Nigeria Professional Football League and former second vice-president of the Nigeria Football Federation,” he stated.
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