The Eight Most Outstanding Nigerian Football Players of All Time
Nigeria is home to more than 200 million people, the vast majority of whom are passionate about football. In this article, we are going to take a look back at some of the great players who have made their mark in the history of Nigerian football. This list was compiled in collaboration with the experts at Bettingtips4you, taking into account the global popularity of the players as well as their contribution to the success of the national team.
8 – Sunday Oliseh
Sunday Oliseh is considered one of the best African defensive midfielders of all time. He has worn the jerseys of major European teams such as Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus during his successful career. Nigerians still remember his winning goal against Spain at the 1998 World Cup in France, a victory which is still considered one of the greatest in the history of the national team. After scoring three goals in 63 appearances for Nigeria, Oliseh retired from international football in June 2002. He is currently trying to make a name for himself in the world of team management, but without much success. Sunday was dismissed from German third division club SV 19 Straelen after losing all five of their matches.
7 – Vincent Enyeama
We had to find a place for one of the best African goalkeepers in the history of football. Despite his relatively small size for a top goalkeeper, Vincent left a deep mark in both European football and the Nigerian national team. Enyeama spent most of his career defending the colors of Lille in the French Ligue 1. Interestingly, he was the main penalty taker for Hapoel Tel Aviv during his time in Israel. Enyeama is the second most capped player in the history of the Nigerian national team, making 101 appearances from 2002 to 2015.
6 – Taribo West
Known for his extraordinary hairstyles, Taribo West is one of Nigeria’s most famous defenders. He enjoyed an exceptional career in Europe, becoming one of the few Africans to have played for both Milan giants, Inter and AC Milan. He also gained experience in the Premier League and Bundesliga playing for Derby County and Kaiserslautern respectively at the turn of the millennium. West racked up 42 caps for the Nigerian national team from 1994 to 2005, appearing in two World Cups and two Africa Cups of Nations along the way.
5 – Joseph Yobo
We stay on the defender theme with Joseph Yobo, who deserves a high fifth spot on this list. The main reason we placed him ahead of West is Yobo’s incredible success with the Nigeria Under-20 national team. Yobo played in three World Cups and six Africa Cups of Nations, spending ten long years in England’s top flight in between. Yobo was just two games away from the symbolic mark of 200 appearances for Everton. Joseph also played for Marseille, Tenerife, Fenerbahce and Norwich City during his storied career. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team.
4 – John Obi Mikel
Probably the best way to describe Mikel John Obi is to say that he is a mix of Jay-Jay Okocha (although not to the fullest extent) and Sunday Oliseh. A phenomenal ball controller blessed with a stunning blend of timing, grace and sheer strength, Mikel spent over a decade at Stamford Bridge. You don’t wear the Chelsea shirt for that long if you’re not special. At 18, Mikel scored a goal and provided an assist on his debut in the Africa Cup of Nations. Since then, he has racked up a further 90 caps for the national team, including at two World Cups. Mikel was one of the main catalysts for the Super Eagles’ victory in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
3 – Stephen Keshi
Choosing the top three players is always difficult in lists like this, but we decided to place Stephen Keshi third mainly because of his leadership and the influence he had on Nigerian football long before the arrival of the stars mentioned above. Keshi inspired the Super Eagles’ first World Cup qualification, as well as the team’s second Africa Cup of Nations title. We will never forget the scenes at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations when Anderlecht refused to let Keshi participate in the tournament, showing how important he was to his team’s success. Keshi eventually managed to play the final two matches of the event. He went on to become a successful manager, notably leading Togo to their first World Cup qualification before leading Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations title. Keshi became the second man to win the Africa Cup of Nations trophy as a player and as a coach, alongside Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary.
2 – Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu is one of the most fearsome offensive zone predators Africa has ever known. He heralded an impressive career, winning three Eredivisie titles and a Champions League silver medal with Ajax early in his European career. Nwankwo went on to play for clubs such as Inter Milan and Arsenal. He left an indelible mark at Highbury, scoring very important goals (3