10 sporting moments of 2017 that Nigerians won't forget in a hurry.
Sports occupy huge parts of the daily lives of billions of people in the world, leaving unerasable and unforgettable moments. These are the 10 most memorable sporting moments of the year for Nigerians.
This Pulse List 2017 article details the events around these moments in no particular order and it is also important to note that this article only highlights the moments -either local or worldwide that generated conversations and buzz in Nigeria.
1. Floyd Mayweather Vs Conor McGregor (Boxing)
The return of the arguably the best middleweight fighter in boxing history and the cross-over of the most enigmatic characters in the UFC gave us one of the most memorable sports moment of 2017.
Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather returned from retirement for one last bout (at least for now) against two-time world champion in the UFC, Conor McGregor.
The build-up to the fight dominated headlines for several weeks before the bout at the T-Mobile Arena in August.
The fight lived up its expectation as Mayweather and McGregor touched gloves in a 10-round boxing contest.
McGregor began bravely and won the first three rounds but was ultimately outclassed by the vastly more experienced Mayweather.
It was also financially rewarded for all parties involved; Mayweather earned around $200million million while 29-year-old McGregor took home a payout of $100m.
2. 2017 Champions League final (Football)
A Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid blew out Juventus 3-1 to win the 2017 Champions League final in one of the most talked about 2017 moments in sports.
Real Madrid were looking to become the first team to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era. Juventus iconic goalie Gianluigi Buffon was also looking to crown his storied career with a Champions League title.
But a charged Ronaldo delivered on the night, scoring a brace to solidify his place as one of the greats of the game.
A Ronaldo opener for Real was cancelled by Mario Mandzukic but further goals by the Real Madrid star man and Casemiro and Marco Asensio ensured a 4-1 win for Real Madrid.
That game also had a massive effect on the biggest individual awards in world football, the FIFA Best Award and the Ballon d’Or which Ronaldo edged his rival Lionel Messi to win.
3. Anthony Joshua Vs Wladimir Klitschko (Boxing)
The old guard of world heavyweight boxing Wladimir Klitschko and an emerging star Anthony Joshua clashed in April 2017 in one of the most talked about boxing moments of 2017.
A win for Joshua and he becomes the new face of boxing and that is exactly what happened. The 28-year-British boxer took victory on an 11th-round stoppage after being knocked to the canvas by 41-year-old Klitschko.
The win not only announced Joshua on the world stage but became a household name in Nigeria the country of his parents.
He became wildly celebrated by Nigerians who immediately discovered his local roots and held on to it.
For that win against Klitschko and his subsequent fight in October against Carlos Takam, indigenes of Sagamu, the hometown of his parents gathered in their thousands to watch him
According to Google, Joshua was the fourth most-searched sportsperson by Nigerians in 2017.
4. Super Eagles 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (Football)
The Super Eagles had an impressive 2017, churning out great results in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign which saw them become the first African country to book their place in Russia.
The mood was different when the draw was made, putting Nigeria in a tough Group B with Zambia, Cameroon and Algeria.
But the Gernot Rohr-led men were impressive all through, comfortably beating Algeria and Cameroon and also getting crucial away win at Zambia to seal qualification.
5. Nigeria’s in over Argentina (Football)
Super Eagles huge win over Argentina in a November friendly also prompted reactions from Nigerians.
Although without Lionel Messi, Argentina ran into a two-goal lead before Kelechi Iheanacho, Alexi Iwobi’s brace and a goal by Brian Idowu gave Nigeria a comeback win.
That win gave Nigerians an optimistic view of their chances at the 2018 World Cup where they will again face Argentina along with Croatia and Iceland in Group D.
6. Victor Moses’ Premier League win with Chelsea (Football)
Nigerians in 2017 watched with delight as one of their own Victor Moses played a crucial role for Chelsea to win the 2017 Premier League title.
Moses made 22 consecutive Premier League starts from September 2016 to April 2017. 28 league starts and 33 league appearances in total this season.
He is the Nigerian player with the most Premier League appearances for a title-winning team ever.
With Chelsea having a huge fan base in Nigeria, Moses’ feat with Chelsea generated massive reactions from Nigeria.
The article of Victor Moses’ journey from the fringes at Chelsea to a celebrated Premier League winner is the most read article on Pulse Sports in the whole of 2017.
7. NBA Finals (Basketball)
American pop culture from -music, movies and sports- is hugely followed by Nigerian youths who watched with keen interest as the Golden State Warriors led by Kevin Durant defeat LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 to win the 2017 NBA title.
Talk of the final dominated Nigeria’s social mediasphere as Durant led the Warriors to victory.
8. Sikiru Olatunbosun’s wonder goal (Football)
From the gritty grounds of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) MFM FC star Sikiru Olatunbosu that got the Nigerians and even the world talking with his wonder goal which he scored in a February home 2-1 win over Enugu Rangers.
The MFM FC left-footer quickly became an internet sensation as the clip of his goal went viral on the world-wide-web.
After collecting a pass, Olatunbosun looped the ball over Rangers captain and right-back Matthew Etim before firing off a fierce shot with his left foot into the top corner.
France’s L’Equipe called it 'magnifique'; Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo named it El golazo de la jornada; Brazil’s Globo named it 'Candidato ao Puskas' and Italy’s La Gazetta dello Sport called it remarkably, a ‘supergol’.
It was also voted CNN’s Goal of the Week after it got 82% of the vote beating competition from Radja Nainggolan of Roma, Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht and Joey Jones of Woking FC.
9. Usain Bolt bows out (Athletes)
Nigerians along with the rest of the world will never forget the bowing out of one of the greatest athlete in the history of sports, Usain Bolt.
After dominating the tracks for more than a decade, Bolt brought down the curtain on his glittering career at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
It didn’t according to scripts as the 30-year-old could only get bronze at the 100 metres event and pulled his hamstring while running in the anchor leg of the world 4x100m relay which was won by Britain.
These didn’t take away the bowing out of a sporting icon who is the world record holder in the 100 and 200m, winner of eight Olympic golds and 14 world medals since making his debut in Helsinki in 2005 when he finished eighth and last in the 200m final.
10. Nigerian Bobsled Women Team qualifying for 2018 Winter Olympics
With Nigeria without the winter season, the country has never gotten any representative at the Winter Olympics and people from around here rarely grow up with dreams of competing at the Games.
The trio of Seun Adigun and brakemen Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga, however, took off the sports of bobsleigh also known as bobsled and began the journey towards making history as the first Nigerians to compete at the Winter Olympics.
Their dreams became a reality as the trio qualified for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang after completing completed races in Utah, Whistler and Calgary during the qualifiers.
This feat brought them mentions in some of the biggest media platforms around the world and landed them an appearance on prime US Talk Show, The Ellen Show.