Nigeria’s football history will forever carry the mark of Muhammadu Buhari, who served both as a military Head of State and as a two-term civilian president, Soccernet.ng reports.
While Buhari passed away on July 13, 2025, aged 82, his time in power coincided with some of Nigeria’s proudest moments in the beautiful game.
Buhari’s tenure saw youth teams and women’s football teams lifting silverware, which stamped Nigeria’s status as Africa’s football giants.
Golden Eaglets Win Nigeria’s First FIFA Trophy (1985)
In 1985, while Buhari ruled as Nigeria’s military Head of State, the country’s U‑16 team, later called the Golden Eaglets, won the inaugural FIFA U‑16 World Championship in China.
This sparked Nigeria's youth football revolution. Per Vanguard, Buhari personally welcomed the team back home, and gave them the now-famous moniker, “Golden Eaglets.”
2015 FIFA U‑17 World Cup (2015)
Fast forward 30 years later, under Buhari’s civilian presidency, Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets claimed the 2015 FIFA U‑17 World Cup in Chile. This triumph extended Nigeria’s record as the most successful nation in the tournament’s history.
CAF U‑23 Africa Cup of Nations (2015)
Also in 2015, the U‑23 Eagles won the CAF U‑23 Africa Cup of Nations in Senegal. The victory earned them qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
African Women’s Cup of Nations (2016 & 2018)
Under Buhari’s democratic rule, Nigeria’s Super Falcons clinched back-to-back African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) titles—2016 in Cameroon and 2018 in Ghana.
Super Eagles Qualify for 2018 FIFA World Cup & AFCON Bronze (2019)
