Top 12 Nigerian sports heroes and heroines: Interesting details
Sports are a crucial part of everyone's growth and development. They help people to maintain health and fitness. Some people are talented in specific sports. They have honed their skills and talents and competed in various local and international games. Several Nigerian sports heroes have made the country proud.
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Different countries are known for producing professional athletes in various games. Kenya, for example, is known for athletics, while the United Kingdom is known for cricket. Nigeria also has various professional players. Read on to discover the Nigerian sports heroes and their contributions to the country.
Top Nigerian sports heroes and heroines
Nigeria has produced various professional athletes who have performed well in local and international events. Check out the names of Nigerian sports heroes and heroines in 2022 below.
1. Ejike Lucy
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Lucy Ogechukwu Ejike is a Paralympic powerlifter. She uses a wheelchair due to polio.
| Full name | Lucy Ogechukwu Ejike |
| Place of birth | Enugu |
| Date of birth | 16th October 1977 |
| Age | 44 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Paralympic powerlifting |
Despite her physical challenge, she represented her motherland at six consecutive Paralympic Games, i.e. from 2000 in Sydney to Tokyo in 2021. She brought home three gold, two silver and one bronze medal.
2. Victor Osimhen
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Victor Osimhen features on the list of five Nigerian sports heroes in 2022. The young man is a professional footballer.
| Full name | Victor James Osimhen |
| Place of birth | Lagos |
| Date of birth | 29th December 1998 |
| Age | 23 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
He plays as an attacker for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigeria national team. During the Serie A matches in 2021/2022, he made 27 appearances overall and is the team's top league scorer.
3. Asisat Oshoala
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Asisat Oshoala plays as a striker for Primera División club FC Barcelona Femení and the Nigerian women's national team.
| Full name | Asisat Lamina Oshoala MON |
| Place of birth | Ikorodu |
| Date of birth | 9th October 1994 |
| Age | 27 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
She is a four-time and reigning African Women's Footballer of the Year. In 2022, she will be missing nearly half of Barcelona's games because of a knee injury.
4. Joseph Yobo
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Joseph Michael Yobo is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He was the Nigerian national team captain until his international football retirement in June 2014.
| Full name | Joseph Michael Yobo |
| Place of birth | Kono |
| Date of birth | 6th September 1980 |
| Age | 41 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
Yobo played his first match for Everton on 28th September 2002. He was a substitute against Fulham. In his Premier League career, he played 228 times with eight goals and two assists.
5. Enku Ekuta
Enku Ekuta features among the names of sportsmen/women in Nigeria in 2022.
| Full name | Enku Ekuta |
| Place of birth | Lagos |
| Date of birth | 15th March 1998 |
| Age | 24 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Judo |
The 24-year-old is a Judoka like her parents. She took home a silver medal at the 2019 African Open in Yaounde and a bronze medal in Dakar.
6. Teslim 'Thunder' Balogun
The name Teslim 'Thunder' Balogun cannot miss on the list of past and present sports heroes and their contributions to Nigeria. Teslim was a football player and coach.
| Full name | Tesilimi Olawale Ayinde "Teslim" Balogun |
| Place of birth | Port Harcourt |
| Year of birth | 27th March 1931 |
| Date of demise | 30th July 1972 |
| Age at death | 41 years |
| Game | Football |
He played for Apapa Bombers, Marine Athletics, UAC XI, Railways XI, Jos XI, Pan Bank Team, Dynamos Club and SCOA XI. He won the Challenge Cup five times in seven finals.
7. Nwankwo Kanu
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Nwankwo Kanu started his career at the Nigerian league club Federation Works before moving to Iwuanyanwu Nationale.
| Full name | Nwankwo Christian Nwosu Kanu OON |
| Place of birth | Owerri, Imo state |
| Date of birth | 1st August 1976 |
| Age | 45 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
He was a member of the Nigeria national team. He scored 54 goals and made 113 wins in his career.
8. Mercy Akide
Mercy Joy Akide Udoh is a former football midfielder, and her name features on the list of the top 10 Nigerian sports heroes and their contributions.
| Full name | Mercy Joy Akide Udoh |
| Place of birth | Port Harcourt |
| Date of birth | 26th August 1975 |
| Age | 46 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
She started her professional career at Garden City Queens. By the time she was retiring, she was playing the women's league at Hampton Roads Piranhas. In 2005, she was named among FIFA's 15 Ambassadors for Women Football.
9. Enefiok Udo-obong
Enefiok Udo-obong features on the list of Nigerian sports heroes and their contributions. He is a professional sprinter who has made his country proud.
| Full name | Enefiok Udo-Obong |
| Place of birth | Ibadan, Oyo State |
| Date of birth | 22nd May 1982 |
| Age | 40 years (as of 2022) |
| Sport | Sprinting/ athletics |
He is the only Nigerian to win two Olympic medals. He bagged a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal.
10. Chioma Ajunwa
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Chioma Ajunwa is a former athlete, best remembered as the first Nigerian to win gold at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
| Full name | Chioma Ajunwa-Opara |
| Place of birth | Imo |
| Date of birth | 25th December 1970 |
| Age | 51 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Athletics |
She is also a World Indoor Championships Silver medallist. She is the only Nigerian woman to compete at the FIFA Women's World Cup as a footballer and track and field athlete in the Olympics.
11. Innocent Egbunike
Innocent Egbunike is a former athletics champion who made his home country proud. He is a 4-time Olympian.
| Full name | Innocent Ejima Egbunike |
| Place of birth | Onitsha |
| Date of birth | 30th November 1961 |
| Age | 60 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Sprinting/ athletics |
In 1983, 1984, and 1984, he was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet. He was also the first athlete ever to win 4 NAIA 100-meter titles.
12. Austin Okocha
Augustine Azuka Okocha former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
| Full name | Augustine Azuka Okocha |
| Place of birth | Enugu |
| Date of birth | 14th August 1973 |
| Age | 48 years (as of 2022) |
| Game | Football |
He was in the Nigerian national team between 1993 and 2006 and a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He scored 14 goals and made 124 appearances for the Nigerian national team.
What are the top sports in Nigeria?
The top three sports in the country are football, athletics, and basketball.
What is soccer called in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, this game is called football or soccer.
Nigerian sports heroes have made the country proud by winning various awards and medals. Some of them are retired, while others are still playing various games.
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