Since 1945: The 7 Best of the Best Nigerian Footballers of All Time

Nigeria is seen as a soccer giant in Africa, with over 200 million soccer fans spread across the country. This unbelievable growth has extended from watching soccer and from enjoying the great online entertainment opportunities with the 1Xbet promo code, to progress on the field. As a result, the national team is displaying an incredible performance whenever they’re playing. Here are Nigeria’s most successful football players of all time.

1. Nwankwo Kanu

Born in 1976, Nwankwo Kanu is the most decorated Nigerian soccer player of all time. During the early days of his career, the Nigerian forward won three Eredivisie Championships and went ahead to help Ajax win the UEFA Champions League. Kanu also won the UEFA Cup with Inter Milan and before that, he played with the world’s top clubs like Arsenal, Ajax, and Inter Milan.

During his spell with Highbury, Kanu portrayed various significant displays coming from the bench to win two PL Championships. He also claimed the popular Invincible campaign during the 2003/2004 season.

2. Jay Jay Okocha

Born Augustine Azuka Okocha, this retired attacking midfielder was the best at dribbling in Africa’s soccer history. Jay Jay was also known for his skills in luring in defenders, before outsmarting them with a trick. Okocha was named the best footballer in Africa in 2005 and is considered the most capable player in the continent’s football history.

3. Rashidi Yekini

A great scorer with an amazing career, Rashidi Yekini started his career playing for Nigerian teams like UNTL Kaduna, Abiola Babes, and Shooting Stars. Yekini later moved to Ivory Coast, before moving to Portugal’s Vitoria Sebutal where he showcased incredible scoring abilities.

In 1993, Rashidi became the only Nigerian player to be named as the player of the year thanks to his performance with Sebutal. Unfortunately, the retired Nigerian player passed in 2012 at 48 years.

4. Joseph Yobo

Joseph Yobo became an accomplished player during his times with the national Under-20 team that played the 1999 World Cup at home. After two years, Yobo transitioned to the senior national team, where he became the most capped footballer alongside Vincent Enyeama.

5. Vincent Enyeama

Vincent Enyeama was Nigeria’s best goalkeeper in the Enyimba team that took the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004. From that point, Vincent played for various international teams like Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Lille. He also made his first appearance in the National Team in the 2002 World Cup and amazed everyone with his amazing saves against England.

6. John Obi Mikel

A defensive midfielder, John Obi Mikel was always expected to bring on the game after he helped Nigeria finish as the runner-up in the 2005 Youth Championship hosted in the Netherlands. He was also named as the second-best player of this competition behind Lionel Messi.

7. Taribo West

Famous for his crazy hairstyles, Taribo West was a skilled defender that participated in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and won gold. West also participated in the 1998 and 2002 world cups, before proceeding to play for different teams like Derby County, Internazionale, and AC Milan.