5 major sporting events hosted in Nigeria

As a sports-loving nation, Nigeria has hosted some important sporting events in the past. For many decades, the West African country has been selected to host several renowned sporting competitions.

Here are five major sporting events hosted in Nigeria.

1. The 1980 African Cup of Nations

Nigeria hosted the African Cup of Nations in 1980. It was the 12th edition of the prestigious African football competition. That year, the tournament had just eight teams competing for the title. The competition was played in Surulere Stadium in Lagos and Liberty Stadium in Ibadan, Oyo state. The host also won the tournament.

2. The 1989 African Championships in Athletics

The 1989 African Championships in Athletics was the sixth edition of the continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA). The sporting showpiece was held in Lagos, Nigeria, between 4 and 8 August. Nigeria topped the medal table with 14 gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze medals.

3. The 2003 All-Africa Games

The All-Africa Games is arguably the biggest sporting event in Africa. Nigeria hosted the event in 2003. The 8th edition of the All Africa Games was held from 5th to 17th of October 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. A total of 53 countries took part in 23 sports, while 20 venues all over Nigeria were used to play the sports. In that tournament, Nigeria finished top of the medal table with 85 gold, 90 silver, and 65 bronze medals.

4. The 2009 FIFA Under-17 World Cup

The youth competition was held in Nigeria after winning the previous tournament in 2007. It was only the second time that an African country would host the tournament, after Egypt. FIFA chose eight venues for the competition, and the final took place at the National Stadium in Abuja. The Golden Eaglets agonizingly lost 1-0 to Switzerland in the final. In that tournament, the likes of Neymar, Isco, Son Heung-min, Mario Götze, Marc-André ter Stegen, Philippe Coutinho, Álvaro Morata all played on Nigerian soil.

5. The 2000 African Cup of Nations

Six years after winning the AFCON in 1994, Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted the tournament. Nigeria and Ghana jointly replaced Zimbabwe as hosts after the southern African nation failed to comply with CAF specifications. Two venues in Nigeria were selected for the AFCON, National Stadium in Lagos and Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano State. Nigeria lost to rivals Cameroon in the finals after a penalty shootout.