Sports
Ranking The 10 Best Nigeria Football Players Of All Time
Nigeria are one of Africa’s most iconic national sides with three AFCON titles to their name and a string of memorable performances at the World Cup.
The Super Eagles have produced countless high profile players at top clubs throughout world football, from mavericks like Jay-Jay Okocha to midfield enforcers such as John Obi-Mikel.
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman hope to lead the current generation to glory, but who is the greatest Nigerian footballer of all time?
10
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen is the only active player to crack the top ten, as it’s impossible to leave the striker out given his success at club and international level.
The towering front man is forever etched into Italian football history after helping end Napoli’s title drought in the 2022-23 season, racking up 26 league goals and being crowned both Serie A player of the year and African footballer of the year.
At international level, Osimhen only made his senior debut in 2017 but is already one of the country’s greatest ever goalscorers, with just a handful more goals needed to pass Rashidi Yekini in first place.
9
Vincent Enyeama
Vincent Enyeama is Nigeria’s greatest goalkeeper ever. With incredible reflexes, leadership, and consistency, he anchored the Super Eagles for over a decade, racking up 101 caps for his national side.
He captained Nigeria to the 2013 AFCON title and starred at multiple World Cups, particularly in 2014, where he produced memorable performances in clean sheets against Iran and Bosnia
At club level, the legendary shot-stopper won the Nigerian Premier League three times in the early 2000s before spending over half a decade in France starring for Lille.
8
Finidi George
Finidi George was one of Africa’s finest wingers in the 1990s and a player who the likes of Lookman and Alex Iwobi will no doubt be looking up to.
With incredible pace and crossing that David Beckham would be proud of, he was a key part of Ajax’s golden generation that won the 1995 UEFA Champions League.
For the Super Eagles, Finidi was instrumental in the 1994 AFCON triumph and featured prominently in World Cups.
Consistency at elite club level and success internationally make Finidi one of Nigeria’s most accomplished players of all time, having also won the Eredivisie three times during his spell at Ajax.
7
John Obi Mikel
John Obi Mikel redefined the role of a Nigerian midfielder. Known for his intelligence, reading of the game and composure on the ball, he enjoyed most of his success at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League.
Jose Mourinho once called him the “miracle man” due to his ability to play as a destroyer, marauding box to box midfielder or even as a number ten, with that versatility marking him out as one of the greatest midfielders in the Premier League in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
As captain, Mikel led Nigeria to AFCON victory in 2013 and an Olympic bronze medal in 2016. His leadership and discipline were crucial in stabilising teams filled with attacking talent.
6
Sunday Oliseh
On the topic of tough tackling midfielders, Sunday Oliseh was the engine of Nigeria’s midfield during its most successful era. A powerful and ruthless number six with tactical intelligence and leadership to boot, he played a crucial role in the 1994 AFCON win, 1996 Olympic gold, and multiple World Cup campaigns.
At club level, Oliseh featured for top European sides including Ajax, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, making him one of the most decorated exports from Nigerian football.
His iconic long-range goal against Spain at the 1998 World Cup remains one of Nigerian sport’s greatest moments.
5
Segun Odegbami
Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami was Nigeria’s first true football superstar. Playing primarily in the 1970s and early 1980s, he was a dynamic winger known for his pace, intelligence and ability to step up in the big moments.
He starred in Nigeria’s first AFCON victory in 1980, scoring crucial goals throughout the tournament. His understanding of the game and off-the-ball movement were ahead of his time, creating the pathway for the growth of some of the country’s greatest attacking talents.
Odegbami helped lay the foundation for modern African football, inspiring generations long before the continent gained the type of global footballing exposure it has today.
4
Stephen Keshi
Stephen Keshi is one of a kind as a man who both captained and managed Nigeria to AFCON glory, starring in the 1994 team and later coaching them to another title in 2013.
As a defender, he was strong, commanding, and tactically astute.
Keshi enjoyed a successful club career in Europe, notably in Belgium, and also represented Nigeria in two World Cups and was a pillar of the golden generation.
As a coach, he rebuilt Nigerian football with locally based players, restoring national pride at a time when the national side was struggling. His legacy as both a player and coach cements his spot as one of the greatest of all time.
3
Nwankwo Kanu
A two-time African Footballer of the Year, Kanu won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax, multiple Premier League titles with Arsenal, and an Olympic gold medal in 1996 with Nigeria, making him one of the greatest African footballers of all time.
Overcoming a life-threatening heart condition early in his career, Kanu went on to enjoy remarkable longevity at the highest level, inspiring not only with his ability but with his resilience and fortitude.
His intelligent movement, ball control and lethal finishing made him a unique forward who thrived in tight spaces despite his huge 6 foot 5 frame.
Kanu’s post-playing career and humanitarian work further enhance his legacy, with the Kanu Heart Foundation tackling homelessness, building hospitals and paying for life-changing medical care.
2
Jay-Jay Okocha
Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most technically gifted footballer ever and one of the most “Barclays” players of all time.
Blessed with extraordinary dribbling ability, flair, and creativity, Okocha played the game with a smile on his face, and has even been compared to Brazil legend Ronaldinho.
He was the heartbeat of the Super Eagles for over a decade, starring in three World Cups and winning the 1994 AFCON. At club level, he shone for Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, PSG, and Bolton Wanderers, where he became a cult hero in the Premier League.
Okocha’s influence went beyond trophies—he changed how Nigerian footballers were perceived globally.
1
Rashidi Yekini
Rashidi Yekini stands as the most iconic striker in Nigerian football history. He remains Nigeria’s all-time leading goalscorer with 37 goals in 58 appearances, a record that has never seriously been threatened until Osimhen’s emergence.
His physical strength and clinical finishing made him a nightmare for defenders throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.
Yekini’s legacy is inseparable from Nigeria’s first World Cup goal in 1994, scored against Bulgaria. His emotional celebration—clutching the net and shouting in disbelief—became one of the most enduring images in World Cup history.
He also finished as the tournament’s top scorer in Nigeria’s 1994 AFCON triumph.
Yekini remains the benchmark against which all Nigerian players are measured.
