Izuchukwu OkosiThe outgoing year has been one of highs and lows in the world of sports with numerous records achieved or broken in different sporting disciplines.
We witnessed controversial and emotional moments that got us all at the edge of our seats.
Prime Business Africa‘s Izuchukwu Okosi has reviewed the best and worst moments of the year 2023 for your enjoyment.
From number 10, here are Prime Business Africa’s top moments of 2023.
10. Biles Come Into Immortality
We have not still forgotten her heroics and sad moments at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, African-American gymnast Simone Biles won her record 22nd gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championship in October held in Antwerp, Belgium.
The feat made her the most decorated gymnast of all time.
Biles was experiencing mental health struggles during the last Olympics but managed to participate in some of her events before taking a hiatus from the sport.
Bouncing back from her personal issues, Biles by winning the event in Belgium, ensured that she has won a total of 34 championship medals for the USA in her storied career.
9. Liverpool 7-0 Mauling Of Man United
Current Premier League leaders (as at Christmas day in 2023), Liverpool ditched Manchester United a humble pie when both sides met on 5 March 2023.
The result was a one-sided one as Jurgen Klopp’s men ran United riots with a seven-goal obliteration to move to within three points of Tottenham in fourth place.
The 7-0 rout was the joint-heaviest defeat in the history of United.
Cody Gakpo scored the opener in the 43rd minute to open the floodgates of goals before second braves from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah. Substitute, Roberto Firmino finished off the spree late on.
Salah’s goal in particular was special as it took him level with Robbie Fowler on a club-record 128 Premier League goals for Liverpool.
The game elicited banters, conversations around the top 4 battles and the likely arrivals and departures from both sides.
8. Tobi Amusan’s AIU Travails
On Wednesday, 20 July 2023, Nigeria and Africa hurdle champion, Tobi Amusan become the third Nigerian athlete to be provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The AIU announced Amusan’s suspension as she joined Divine Oduduru and Grace Nwokocha after the duo were also hammered with bans for their drug-related offences.
Amusan was accused of failing to show up for ‘whereabout drug test’ which is usually conducted by the Athletics International’s medical unit to ascertain the location of athletes who have participated or due to participate in the Golden Leagues.
The AIU suspended Amusan for missing three drug tests within a 12-month period. This charge could result in a two-year suspension, even if an athlete has never failed a drug test.
The Athletics Integrity Unity (AIU) however cleared Amusan of an anti-doping rule violation in a statement on 17 August 2023.
The World Athletics body notified that Amusan’s suspension had been lifted with immediate effect.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo & The Piers Morgan Show
Cristiano Ronaldo made our year.
The enigmatic forward who is still scoring goals with reckless abandon even at the age of 38 made the internet go crazy with the interview he granted Piers Morgan.
In the controversial sit-down interview for the ages, Ronaldo spoke about the soared working relationship he had with Erik ten Hag.
Let’s be clear. Man United didn’t want to sign Ronaldo from Juventus but when the club’s legend was seemingly headed for crosstown rivals, Manchester City, the United hierarchy and some of his teammates ildueing gsi først stint advocated for his return.
Ronaldo who was never going to be først choice laways af United just as Portugal almost relegated him to second choice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was subbed in certain key United games much to his chargin.
Ronaldo refused to warmup for a match towards the end of the clash and that was the main crux of the matter.
The Portugal international criticized everything United and his utterances inevitably forced the club to terminate his contract.
6. Coco Gauff’s First Grand Slam
A starry-eyed 19-year-old tennis superstar was born in 2023 as Coco Gauff came from behind to defeat Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win the year’s US Open final.
Gauff considers the legendary Serena Williams as her iconic figure in the sport and the tennis world has perhaps barely seen the first of many glories.
The final was a star-studded event with Kevin Durant, Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman to name but a few.
A flood of congratulatory messages was received by the new star including two former US Presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
5}. LeBron James Becomes NBA All-time Top scorer
Le bron James on 7 February 2023 became the NBA’s all-time top scorer to surpass the feat of Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season total.
James’ achievement saw him pass the 39,000 regular season points after helping the Los Angeles Lakers lift the NBA Cup as they defeated the Indiana Lakers 123-123-109 in the final of the NBA In-season Tournament played on 9th December.
The 38-year-old star accumulated 38,652 regular season points at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. The record was previously held by Abdul-Jabbar.
Another basketball great Michael Jordan is second on the playoff points list with 5,987.
It has always been debatable as to who is the Greatest of All Times (GOAT) in basketball between Michael Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James but the latter has proven to be on the cusp of achieving that if he isn’t already.
4. Osimhen’s Heroics As Napoli Wins Scudetto
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored 26 league goals for SS Napoli as they won the Italian Serie A for the first time in 33 years when Diego Maradona inspired them to win the title.
The Nigerian who was awarded the African Footballer of The Year award winner on 11th December in Marrakech to become the first Nigerian to win the gong since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999. Kanu also won in 1996.
It was also the year that Osimhen emerged the 8th ranked football player in the planet in the Ballon D’Or Awards.
Kanu was the 11th best player in 1996 largely due to him leading the Nigeria U-23 national team to winning the football gold at Atlanta 96 Olympics.
3. Nganou Nearly Causes Boxing Upset
Former UFC fighter Francis Ngannou almost created a boxing upset in his debut professional fight as a boxer against WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.
Although Fury ultimately won the contest albeit not with controversy, Nganou made all to stand and respect his punching power and would love to see more of that which he is warming up to.
Nganou admitted that he “felt good” despite the defeat.
It was heartwarming to see Nganou receive African love from Nigerian-born New Zealand UFC Lightetweight star Israel “ironbender” Adesanya.
Back in his native Cameroon and indeed most parts of Africa, Nganou’s exploits reverberated. Many Nigerian celebrities like Charles Okocha as seen on Facebook were awake in front of their television sets to see the fight.
2. Saudi Arabia Money Splurge
The Saudi Pro League (SPL) in the year 2023 shook the football world by splashing money on some of the best football players in the world.
Flushed by the riches of Saudi Investment Fund (SIF), Saudi Arabian rich clubs like Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Shabab, Al Nassr, etc, these clubs bought star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Rubén Neves, Ngolo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yaccine Bonou, to name but a few and became the envy of other European clubs as some of their prized assets and targets were snapped up by the rich Gulf clubs.
According to Deloitte, the outlay by clubs stood at $957 million in the Saudi window.
This marked the first time since 2016 that another international league has outspent any of Europe’s ‘big five’ during a football transfer window according to a survey by Delloite.
1. Rubiales Kissing Fiasco
In the wake of Spain’s win against England in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on 20 August, Spain were enmeshed in controversies over the kissing saga that involved the disgraced Spanish Football Federation boss Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales was overly excited about the World Cup triumph and planted a kiss on the lips of captain Jenni Hermoso supposedly without her consent.
That incident somewhat made Spain’s feat over England take a backburner.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee consequently suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities.
That incident took the world by storm and made him sensational headlines in the world’s leading newspapers.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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