2018 was a great year for sports fans, especially for football lovers. Being able to enjoy the Super Eagles play in Russia in parallel with secure online Nigerian football betting was a unique experience for many that we won’t have the chance to live for at least four years. Ultimately, they failed to qualify but this was not necessarily their fault – it must have been the blood of the dead. But the year is coming to an end now, so let’s look forward at the most important global sporting events to look forward to in 2019.
Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon, 2019
The Super Eagles qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, with its finals taking place next year in Cameroon. The Nigerian national team will have to play one more match in the qualifications against Seychelles (they won the first one with a score of 3-0). They won the tournament three times – let’s hope they will be able to repeat this great performance next year.
Super Bowl
Despite it being a predominantly American sport, American football does have fans all over the world. And the biggest football event in the world is coming next February: the 53rd Super Bowl, when the champion of the National Football League (NFL) will be decided. The event’s famous Halftime Show is rumoured to feature Maroon 5, albeit neither the band nor the NFL has confirmed this yet.
Cricket World Cup
Next May, cricket fans around the world will point their gaze to England and Wales that will be co-hosting the Cricket World Cup next summer. The matches will take place in cities ranging from Cardiff to London, with the semi-finals being played in Manchester and Birmingham, and the final in London.
Stanley Cup (ice hockey) and NBA (basketball) finals in June
While there might not be any Nigerian players in the NHL, there are plenty of them playing at NBA teams (17, according to Wikipedia). Fans of these two sports will likely have their eyes glued to the TV screen next June when the two sports will both see their seasons’ finals. Go, teams!
Tour de France
July is traditionally the time when cyclists from all over the world measure their stamina and endurance by cycling across the French-speaking countries of Europe. Next year, the Tour de France will leave from Brussels on the 6th of July, to honor the memory of Eddy Merckx’s legendary win 50 years ago, and will end in Paris on the 28th.
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
This edition of the FIBA World Cup will be the first to be held in the year after the FIFA World Cup. But the changes don’t stop here: the tournament will have 32 teams instead of 24, and it will also serve as a qualifier for the 2020 Summer Olympics, hosted by Japan.
The event will be hosted by China. Nigeria’s National Basketball Team has qualified for the event.
2019 Rugby World Cup
Nigeria will not be at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, hosted next year by Japan. This won’t make the tournament any less exciting. Teams from all over the world, including three-time champions New Zealand, will meet in a variety of venues across the island state to measure their stamina and durability. The tournament will last until November 2nd.
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019
Last but not least, let us mention an event that follows the FIFA World Cup every four years: the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Here, the US team will try to defend its title in France, the third European country to host the tournament. Teams from 24 countries across 6 confederations will play in nine host cities across the country – and the Super Falcons will be one of the teams fighting for the title in the field.
The tournament will take place between the 7th of June and the 7th of July, 2019.
