Medal expectation (between two and five medals)

1. 100m hurdles Women – Tobi Amusan 

The world record holder and former world champion has raced sparsely  over the past few months, but she has shown enough in those few races that she is in contention for gold in Paris.  Her path may be easier given the non-qualification of experienced Americans Nia Ali and Kenny Harrison, but it is still a very tough field with two times world champion, Danielle Williams,  defending Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, and world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton will be there.  There are also a handful of very talented young Americans including Masai Russell and Alaysha Johnson, that kept Ali and Harrison off the same. 

However,  Tobi is in strong contention for a medal and remains one of the favourites for gold. She is also Nigeria’s leading prospect for a medal in Paris. Tobi Amusan will be hoping to put that performance behind her as she looks forward to winning her first Olympic Gold medal, having excelled in other athletic competitions at peak level.

2. Men’s Sprints (Udodi Onwuzurike, Kanyinsola Ajayi, Godson Oghenebrumhe, Favour Ashe, Usheoritshe Itsekiri) 

This is the best pool of male sprinters Nigeria has ever had, but this will also be the most competitive men’s Olympic sprints event ever. Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Erriyon Knighton, Andre de Grasse, Joseph Fanbulleh, Kishane Thompson and Brandon Jacobs are all putting up times that would have been in world record territory pre Usain Bolt. 

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One or two from the Nigerian group (possibly Onwuzurike or Ajayi) will replicate Enoch Adegoke’s performance in Tokyo 2020 and qualify for the Olympic final., and once you’re in there, a medal is always a possibility. It might take a personal best from one of these rising stars though. 

The best prospect is however in the men’s 100M relay, and this group has more than enough to bring home a medal and hold its own in a tough field of the Americans, Jamaicans, Italians and Japanese. 

3. Other Women’s Athletics  (Long jump and Sprints) – Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, Favour Ofili

Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro may be a little past their prime and are not ranked in the top 10 of the long jump in 2024. They are however still world class athletes that can compete at the highest levels, and both should make the finals. 

They’ll however need to jump better than they’ve done over the past year, as it will likely take a jump of at least 7.20 to get a medal in Paris, and neither one has jumped over 6.90 in the recent past. 

Favour Ofili has been in excellent form leading up to the Olympics and will have will have multiple opportunities in the sprints and the 100m relays. Nigeria’s prospect for a relay medal will be much brighter if Favour Ofili and Tobi Amusan do a reprise of their performance from the commonwealth games on the relay team.

4. Women’s Basketball

The Women’s Basketball team has been making study progress over the last decade, and placed 8th in the FIBA World Cup in 2018. However, the usual maladministration derailed that progress, and the team had to pull out of the most recent World Cup after qualifying. 

The relatively poor administration has also prevented the team from getting several eligible WNBA players. Notwithstanding, Coach Rena Wakama’s team recently won its 4th straight Afrobasket title and has overcome enough adversity to make a run to the medal rounds in Paris. 

5. Weightlifting, Martial Arts, and Other Sports

David Izonritei, Richard Igbenegu, Chika Chukwumerije brought back unexpected medals from past Olympics in the fighting events. The same thing may happen in Paris, but don’t hold out too much hope for this. 

Honourable mentions:

Women’s football – Falcons

The Falcons played like a top 10 side in the last women’s world cup, but that may not be enough in Paris, as the team is grouped with Spain and Japan, who are definitely top five sides globally, and may be ranked by some as the top two sides. 

The game against Brazil is a must win for the Falcons to have any hope of advancing from the group. 

Men’s 400 metres relays and mixed relays. 

The absence of Emmanuel Bamidele  has greatly diminished Nigeria’s prospects in the individual  and relay 400m events.  however the team could still make the final in one or both of the relay (men and mixed) events and a medal though unlikely, is not an impossibility. 

The match’s turning point unfolded in the 55th minute when Ousmane Diomande’s challenge on Victor Osimhen in the box led to a penalty decision. Captain William Troost-Ekong stepped up and confidently blasted the ball into the net, securing the game’s lone goal.

The match, played on a dry pitch at the newly-built stadium, showcased a solid defensive performance by the Super Eagles, denying the Ivorian attackers clear chances. Despite the raucous home crowd’s support, Ivory Coast failed to breach the resilient Nigerian defence.

The encounter witnessed few clear opportunities, with Osimhen missing an early chance for Nigeria in the eighth minute. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made a crucial point-blank save from Christian Kouame shortly after, maintaining the deadlock in the first half.

VAR technology played a decisive role in the second half, overturning the initial decision and awarding Nigeria the penalty that led to their victory. Troost-Ekong’s powerful penalty marked Nigeria’s ascendancy to second place in Group A, trailing leaders Equatorial Guinea on head-to-head record.

The defeat for Ivory Coast, their first against Nigeria on home soil, adds pressure to their campaign. With three points after two games, the Ivorians must secure a win against Equatorial Guinea on Monday to guarantee progression to the knockout stage.

With four points, Nigeria is positioned favourably for advancement and will face Guinea-Bissau in their final Group A fixture on January 22. The victory against Ivory Coast also ended Nigeria’s four-game winless streak, offering a boost to coach Jose Peseiro’s side.

In the post-match analysis, Peseiro expressed satisfaction with his team’s strategy, highlighting their deserving win. The Super Eagles’ solid defensive display and the decisive penalty mark a significant moment in their quest for success in the 2023 AFCON.

The focus now shifts to the remaining group-stage fixtures, as teams jostle for positions in the knockout stages of Africa’s premier football tournament. Nigeria’s next match is against Guinea-Bissau on Monday, January 22.

Playing at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara, the Nigerians started off brightly, dominating proceedings early on. Several missed chances, however, proved costly as Equatorial Guinea gradually grew into the game.

The deadlock was broken in the 37th minute when Equatorial Guinean striker Iban Salvador clinically finished past Super Eagles goalkeeper and surprise starter Stanley Nwabali.

Shell-shocked, Nigeria responded almost immediately through striker Victor Osimhen, who headed in an equaliser two minutes later off a cross from Ademola Lookman.

The second half saw both teams scrap for the winner, but several glaring misses, especially from Osimhen, meant the scores remained level at the final whistle.

Speaking after the match, Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro rued the missed opportunities while praising the resilience of his boys. “We did everything to win, we created many and clear opportunities, and we simply deserved to win,” he said. 

Nigeria faces hosts Ivory Coast next on Thursday by 6:00 PM (Nigerian time), while Equatorial Guinea battles Guinea-Bissau.