Nigerian Best Football Players of all time

 

In the History of Nigerian Fooball, there has been series of Football Players that have played both at home and Abroad. Nigeria had and has exceptional and gifted Football players who where picked from the streets, some from Football Academies to make up a team for the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Nigeria has produced best football players, but i have compiled the list of Nigerian Best Football Players of all time, see below;

1. Nwankwo Kanu:

He was generally known as “Papilo” during his playing days. Kanu is the best Nigerian football player to have ever lived. His extraordinary ball intelligence was in fact mystical. A great Brazilian Footballer once said that “kanu played more with his head than legs.” Those long legs of his were filled with tricks and sharp cutting.

Kanu is possibly one of Africa’s most decorated football Players in history. He has the most trophies, he won UEFA Champions League trophy with Ajax, UEFA Cup with Inter Milan, three English FA Cup, one English Premier League, Olympic Gold Medal…

Kanu was voted by his club Arsenal as the 13th greatest Gunner of all time. He won CAF African footballer of the year twice in 1996 and 1999. He was the captain of Nigeria’s original Dream team that won Gold Medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. This is why Kanu is the no 1 on the list of Nigerian best Football players of all time.

2. Austin Jay-jay Okocha:

When you hear his name; even the players marking him in the pitch trembles, I don’t know if there is or there will be any African player like Okocha. When it comes to his magical skills and flair,  ball tricks, flicks, step-over, there was something to be done in the dreamland. Okocha was extraordinary.

In 2004, Pele listed Okocha in his list of the greatest 100+ living Football players of all time. In 2007, Okocha was voted the 12th greatest African footballer of the past 5 decades. He also won the inaugural edition of BBC African Footballer of the Year Award in 2003 and retained the Award in 2004. He was part of the Nigeria national team players that won African cup of nations in 1994 and the Dream team that won Olympic Gold Medal in Atlanta 1996.

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3. Rasheed Yekini:

I call him goal machine; he is one of African best Players to walk on earth. Nigeria’s leading all-time goal scorer. Yekini was a disease and infection to defenders, an unstoppable giant with speed almost comparable to that of Bolt.

Yekini scored  Nigeria’s first world cup goal and also helped Nigeria win the 1994 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia… he ended the tournament as the leading goal scorer. Yekini has scored 37 goals in 58 appearances for the Nigerian national team.

Yekini began his professional career with IICC Shooting Stars and became the leading goal scorer in the local league. He later moved on to win the top goal scorer in Ivory Coast league with African Sports. He then traveled to Europe and also became the top goal scorer in Portuguese’s league with 34 goals in 32 appearances for Vitoria Setubal in 1993 – 94 seasons. You see why I call him ‘goal machine’!

Yekini won the CAF African Footballer of the Year Award twice in 1990 and 1993. He was also a key player of the Super Eagles team that won the African cup of nations in 1994. You can imagine how that squad was!

4. Stephen Keshi:

This is another tough central defender with far-fetched skills. Keshi led the migration and was the trailblazer for Nigerian football players to start playing abroad.

Keshi captained the Nigerian national team for over a decade, which made him the longest-serving captain for Super Eagles. He had also captained some teams abroad, which means he was a true leader.

Stephen captained the Nigeria national team to her first world cup appearance in 1994. Did you know? Keshi is the only Nigerian that won the African Cup of Nation as both Captain and coach in 1994 and 2013 respectively. What a great player!

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5. Taribo West: 

This particular player was a player to watch back then. his hairstyle was something else. If you could remember, occasionally he plaited green-white-green which brought so much attention to himself and to his country Nigeria. 

He was a star in Auxerre, Inter-Milan, then later Derby County and Plymouth. West was quite a character on and off the field, a big devil to many strikers in his time. He was known as a defender that played football with his own life. He was the Nigeria Dream team players that won a Gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta USA.

6. Emmanuel Amunike:

Emmanuel Amunike was a great attacking player that was known for scoring deciding goals for any team he plays for also his National team.

He scored the winning goal for Nigeria at the Africa cup of Nations (ACN) in Tunisia 1994 and he also scored the winning goal in Atlanta Olympics soccer finals in 1996.

In Nigeria’s inaugural appearance at US 94 world cup against Bulgaria and Italy, he scored 2 goals.

During his time as a football player, he did well, in fact, I must say, he was the most successful player at the national team level then. He won both AFCON in 1994 and Olympic Gold Medal in 1996.

Amunike played for Barcelona in 1996, Sporting Lisbon 1994, Zamlex. He won CAF African Footballer of the Year 1994. He was truly a hero.

7. Segun Odegbami:

Segun was widely known as “mathematical” during his active playing days. He scored a brace that aided Nigeria to win her maiden African Cup of Nation in the year 1980.

Odegbami was a player with top speed and calculation which helped him operate the right wing for his club and the national team.

The Ex-Super Eagles International spent a greater part of his playing career with IICC Shooting stars of Ibadan from the Year 1970 to 1984. He netted 23 goals in his 46 caps for his country and helped a lot.

Apart from the above mentioned Best Footbal Players, believe me, Nigeria have so many football players who are skillful, talented, but these ones made the list, you can comment some names of Football players you think would have made or joined the list of Nigerian Best Football Players of all time.