It's 2025, and African sports fans have plenty to be excited about across multiple sports, from football (both kinds), to the NBA, BAL, college sports, cricket, the Springboks rugby team, and more.
Notably, African stars will be looking to dominate another National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season in the US, after Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda stole the headlines for Kansas City Current and 2024 champions Orlando Pride respectively.
If all goes well, African athletes will also take centre stage in the NFL playoffs, the College Football National Championship, and March Madness, where South Sudanese basketball sensation Khaman Maluach (Duke) will be among the African players chasing glory.
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will see Banyana Banyana aiming to defend their title against fierce competitors like the Super Falcons. Meanwhile, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) - also in Morocco - offers the host nation a chance to make history with their Golden Generation.
Cricket fans will hold their breath as the Proteas compete in the ICC Champions Trophy, seeking to end their elusive search for silverware, while the Springboks vs All Blacks Tests could mark the dawn of a new rugby era.
WAFCON: Can Banyana go back-to-back?
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) promises intense competition as Africa's top women's teams converge in Morocco from 5 to 26 July. Reigning champions South Africa will aim to defend their title, building on their triumph in 2022.
However, perennial favourites, the Super Falcons of Nigeria, are determined to reclaim their dominance after being dethroned.
With Morocco hosting the tournament, the Atlas Lionesses will have home-ground advantage and are strong contenders, especially after reaching the 2022 final. Emerging talents from other nations add intrigue, ensuring this edition will be fiercely contested.
Zambia are also a team to watch, with Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji two of many NWSL stars to watch at this tournament.
AFCON 2025: Can Morocco's Golden Generation deliver on home soil?
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, providing the perfect stage for the host nation's Golden Generation.
They'll face stiff competition from the likes of Senegal, Algeria, and Nigeria, as well as background threats like South Africa. With passionate home support and world-class talent, Morocco have the quality and depth to prosper. Can they rise to the occasion and make history?
NWSL: Will Africa's stars reign supreme again?
The 2024 NWSL season saw Africa's stars dominate the most prestigious women's soccer league in the world.
Before the season began, Racheal Kundananji's then-world record transfer to Bay FC from Madrid CFF gave hints of the impending African revolution in US women's club soccer.
It was her Zambia teammate, Barbra Banda, who won the championship with the Orlando Pride, scoring the winning goal in the final against Washington Spirit. Meanwhile, Malawi's Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current) broke the single-season league goals record and was league MVP.
As the 2025 season approaches, it will not be any surprise if Africa once again plays a central role in the outcome. Catch the action on ESPN Africa.
NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl: African stars in action
With the NFL playoffs wild card round starting on January 11, all eyes will be on the football on ESPN Africa until the Super Bowl on February 9.
There will likely be several African stars in action at least until the late stages of the season. From the Kansas City Chiefs' Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Charles Omenihu to the Seattle Seahawks' Boye Mafe to the Houston Texans' Dare Ogunbowale, there are many players with ties to the continent who could go all the way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
As we close the book on 2024, we're reminded in the greatness pursued and what's left to be achieved in 2025.
College Football: National Championship Game
Also on ESPN, the College Football Playoffs will culminate in the National Championship game on January 20. Last season, Rome Odunze featured for Washington as they lost to Michigan.
The game may not have gone the way the wide receiver with ties to Nigeria wanted, but the season that brought him there was one worth celebrating and he is now in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.
College Basketball: Can Maluach and El Alfy bring home championships?
South Sudan's Khaman Maluach is one of several African players who have been influential in the ongoing college basketball season on ESPN. The freshman center who joined out of the NBA Academy Africa has complemented expected first draft pick Cooper Flagg superbly in the early stages of the season and Duke look like National Championship contenders.
Among the dark horses are the Florida Gators, who have been inspired by Nigeria's Rueben Chinyelu. The 6-foot-10 center helped the Gators get off to a perfect start in the SEC to rocket to the top with 10 straight wins.
Egypt's Jana El Alfy has returned from a year-long injury layoff in style for UConn, adapting well to Geno Auriemma's system and contributing to a team that looks set to challenge for the Women's Championship.
ICC Champions Trophy: Can Proteas break their curse?
The ICC Champions Trophy returns in 2025, and the Proteas are determined to end their trophy drought. Despite producing world-class talent for decades, South Africa remains haunted by their inability to win an ICC event since the 1998 Champions Trophy.
With a mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, the team enters the tournament hungry for success. They have struggled in the 50-over format recently but in Pakistan and the UAE, they will hope to convert recent near misses at World Cups into silverware at this tournament.
Fans will hope the Proteas can overcome past setbacks, maintain composure under pressure, and finally clinch an elusive international title. Could 2025 be the year of South African cricket triumph?
BAL Season 5: Will there be a fifth new champion?
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) will return for a fifth iteration, come April. This time, the playoffs and finals will take place in Pretoria - the first time they have been played outside of Kigali.
Four different teams from three different countries have won the BAL in its first four seasons, signalling the competitiveness of basketball on the continent.
With new teams such as Egypt's Al Ittihad, Libya's Al Ahly Tripoli and Morocco's FUS Rabat are among the teams competing who have never won a championship but have every chance of dethroning defending champions Petro de Luanda.
NBA All-Star Game & Playoffs: Which African star will shine brightest?
When Hakeem Olajuwon broke out as the first African to truly dominate in the NBA, it was an era in which this was still very much a novelty. Now, African players are among the leading forces in the All-Star Game and the playoffs more often than not.
Joel Embiid has not had a strong start to the season, but the 2023 NBA MVP cannot be counted out. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pascal Siakam are among the other established stars to keep an eye on, but emerging star Victor Wembanyama also has ties to Africa - namely DR Congo - and is getting better week-on-week.
It is difficult to predict who will star this year among such a crowded field, but what we do know is that the action will be on ESPN Africa.
Springboks look to go back-to-back
South Africa have not won back-to-back Rugby Championship titles ever in their history - even dating back to the days of the Tri-Nations.
However, having won their second Rugby World Cup in a row in 2023 before winning the Rugby Championship in 2024, they have proven that they are capable of re-writing history.
It will be tough to retain their Rugby Championship crown in 2025 with two away Tests against the All Blacks. However, this is a side which is capable of achieving what was previously unthinkable.
IAAF Indoor World Championships: Continuing Olympic momentum
Africa has always had some standouts in athletics. However, at the recent Olympics in Paris, the continent showed that it is ready to produce stars on a scale we have never seen before - particularly sprinters like teen phenom Bayanda Walaza.
The 2025 World Athletics Championships will take place in Tokyo from September 13-21 and there will be plenty of stars for African fans to watch regardless of their preferred distance.
You can watch the NBA, NFL, College Sports, NWSL, and European soccer on ESPN's channels in Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248).