Nigeria has produced some of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen we have ever seen.
Nigerian history is full of wonderful sporting achievements, and, on this page, we highlight some of the most decorated Nigerian athletes of all time.
Asisat Oshoala
We start with one of the most decorated footballers to come out of Nigeria, Asisat Oshoala. Currently playing for Bay FC in the United States, Oshoala started her football career with FC Robo Queens in Nigeria and earned a move to Liverpool in 2015. The greatest period of Oshoala’s career came in Spain where she played for Barcelona between 2019 and 2024, scoring a magnificent 117 goals in just 162 appearances for the club. In terms of honours, Oshoala’s record is fantastic, with 5 Primera División titles, 3 Women’s Champions League trophies, 3 wins in the Copa de la Reina, and 4 winners medals from the Supercopa de España Femenina. The forward has also won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 3 times, the FA Women’s Cup, Nigerian Women’s Championship, Nigerian Women’s Cup, Chinese Women’s Super League, and numerous individual honours, including the African Women’s Footballer of the Year 6 times.
Hogan ‘Kid’ Basse
We switch from football to boxing and in 1957, Hogan ‘Kid’ Basse became the first Nigerian to become a world boxing champion. He defeated Cherif Hamia in Paris to pick up the WBA world featherweight title and won the Empire featherweight title (now known as the Commonwealth title), West Africa flyweight, and Nigeria bantamweight title. Basse’s professional boxing record was superb, and he won 11 of his final 13 fights before retirement in 1959. Basse went on to win further awards, including an MBE for services to sport in the Eastern Region, Nigeria, and the Order of the Niger, which is the country’s highest honour.
Nwankwo Kanu
We return to football for our next highly decorated Nigerian athlete and Nwankwo Kanu is one of the most naturally gifted footballers to come out of Nigeria. Kanu was an extremely skilful forward who could create goals and chances out of nothing. Not only was Kanu a joy to watch but he was hugely successful throughout his career. Kanu won the Nigerian Premier League, the Eredivisie (3 times), the Premier League (twice), the Champions League, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FA Cup. Kanu was twice named the African Footballer of the Year and is fondly remembered by football fans across the world. Kanu is still very popular with Arsenal fans and if he was a sport betting person, he would be backing The Gunners to win the Premier League title again soon.
There are many other decorated Nigerian athletes who deserve a mention.
- Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun (football)
- Chioma Ajunwa (athletics)
- Dick Tiger (boxing)
- Lucy Ejike (paralympian)
- Stephen Keshi (football)
- Austin Okocha (football)
- Enefiok Udo-obong (athletics)
- Nojeem Maiyegun (boxing)
- Innocent Egbunike (athletics)
The athletes above have all tasted success in their chosen sports. They are the stars young Nigerians look up to for inspiration and are the most decorated Nigerian athletes of all time.
