Nigeria has produced so many great players over the decades, but who is the standout footballer to ever come out of a football-crazed nation?
In this article, we take a look at the top players in Nigerian football’s history.
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Christian Chukwu
Lovingly known as ‘The Chairman’, Christian Chukwu is one of Nigerian football’s greatest defenders, leaders and pioneers.
Chukwu led the national team until its first Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1980, becoming the tournament’s best player.
He also played a key role in the country’s second success 14 years later when he assisted Dutchman Clemens Westerhof as the Super Eagles won the continental title in Tunisia in 1994.
In his time, Chukwu was a strong player in the national league, captaining the Enugu Rangers through the formidable 70s and 80s.
Joseph Yobo
As a defender, Joseph Yobo may not get as much attention as some of the forwards on this list, but the former skipper remains one of the all-time greats of Nigeria’s green and white team.
Interestingly, Yobo started his career as a striker, while in his early years he also occasionally played in midfield, but when he became a footballer, he found his true calling in the back line.
He played at right-back on his World Cup debut in 2002, notably with an assist to Julius Aghahowa in the second group game against Sweden, but it was in the center of defense that he blossomed as a player and leader.
Teslim Balogun
The new generation of football fans may not know much about Teslim Balogun, but the man was one of the great pioneers of Nigerian football.
Nicknamed The Thunder because of his powerful shot, Balogun represented the Nigerian national team between 1948 and 1960 and also played for a number of local clubs.
He is known to have won the Challenge Cup five times and was the first player to score a hat-trick in competition.
Balogun also played in the United Kingdom, signing for Peterborough United in 1955 and also playing for Queens Park Rangers.
Rashidi Yekini
The legendary Rashidi Yekini, arguably the greatest number 9 in the history of Nigerian football, adequately scored the country’s first goal in the World Cup.
This goal against Bulgaria in the USA in 1994 was just one of 37 scored by Ekini in his 62 appearances for the Super Eagles.
In addition to the 1994 World Cup, Yekini also played in France in 1998, while he was the top scorer and player of the tournament for the Nigerian team that won the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994.
John Mikel Obi
With two Premier League titles, three FA Cup titles and two European triumphs with Chelsea (UEFA and Europa League Champions), John Mikel Obi is one of the most decorated footballers in the history of Nigerian football.
Mikel has been a mainstay of the Super Eagles midfield for over a decade, notably inspiring the team to AFCON glory in 2013, the same year he finished second in the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award.
Vincent Enyeama
Vincent Enyama is one of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time.
Departing for the 2023 World Cup as an understudy for Ike Shorunmu, Enyeama was put into action in the final group match against England and he showed amazing composure and ability to keep a clean sheet against the Three Lions.
Since then, he has grown stronger and stronger, playing over 100 games for the Super Eagles in over a decade with the national team. He went to two more World Championships (2010 and 2014) and played a key role in Nigeria’s fight for the AFCON title in 2013.
Segun Odegbami
Segun Odegbami’s career with the national team was relatively short, but he made an indelible contribution to Nigerian football, inspiring the nation to its first Nations Cup success in 1980.
The Maths scored three goals in the tournament, including two in the final against Algeria, as Nigeria finally claimed the long-awaited AFCON trophy.
Steven Keshi
Steven Keshi is one of only two people to win the African Cup of Nations as a player and manager, the other being the Egyptian Mahmoud El-Gohari who won the tournament in 1994 as captain and in 2013 as manager of the Eagles.
Big Boss, as he was affectionately known, also captained Nigeria to its first US World Championship in 1994. He made 64 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 9 goals.
At club level, Keshi played for a number of Nigerian clubs, his longest tenure at the New Nigerian Bank and also spending a lot of time in Belgium, especially at Anderlecht, which he represented between 1987 and 1991.
