Ace Football presents a detailed list of the best players to have played for the Super Eagles.
As one of the main football powerhouses of Africa, Nigeria has been home to many great players in its recent history. Since their first Africa Cup of Nations win in 1980, the Super Eagles have retained their place among the top favourites to win the continental trophy.
Several generations of Nigerian footballers have enjoyed legendary achievements both domestically and internationally.
Let’s take a look at our picks for the best Super Eagles XI of all time.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai
The legendary Deportivo La Cruna goalkeeper was an undisputed starter in Nigeria for over two decades. He played for the Super Eagles in USA 1994 and France 1998 World Cups, being a part of the nations’ ‘Golden generation’ in the late 90s.
Rufai won the AFCON 1994 with Nigeria, before moving to La Liga, where he eventually joined Deportivo La Cruna’s powerful team under Jose Manuel Corral.
Right Back: Joseph Yobo
Yobo started his career as a right-back, but his versatility enabled him to also play as a centre-back for the Super Eagles. While being famous for his incredible pace and physicality, Yobo also led Nigeria’s backline with his exceptional mentality and leadership qualities.
After making his national team debut in 2001, the former Everton star went on to make 97 appearances for Nigeria, including ten World Cup matches.
Centre Back: Stephen Keshi
Keshi was one of those Nigerian greats that reached his peak right before the ‘Golden Generation’ era. A fan-favourite, Keshi started his career in Europe in 1985 when he joined Belgian side KSC Lokeren.
He went on to play for Anderlecht and Strasbourg while breaking into Nigeria’s national team in the mid-90s. Keshi won the AFCON with Nigeria in 1994 as a player and repeated his success as Super Eagles’ manager in their 2013 triumph.
Centre Back: Uche Okechukwu
Another member of the 1994 AFCON winners, Okechukwu, made 70 appearances for the Super Eagles. Despite Nigeria’s abundance of defensive talents, the former Fenerbahce star retained his place as a starter for the Super Eagles during the mid to late 90s.
The highlight of Okechukwu’s performances was his significant contribution to Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup qualification in 1994.
Left Back: Taribo West
West was one of Nigeria’s regular starters during their ‘Golden Generation’ era in the late 90s. A highly physical left-back, West also impressed with his quick runs and ball-carrying abilities.
He played an integral part in the Super Eagles’ unforgettable Olympics campaign of 1996. His performances earned him moves to both AC Milan and Inter, where he developed into one of the greatest African defenders of all time.
You can read more about West’s legendary career at Inter here.
Midfielders
Attacking Mifielder: Jay-Jay Okocha
Widely known as one of the best Nigerian players of all time, Okocha was famous for his incredible dribbling and passing abilities.
After making his international debut in 1993, Okocha went on to become a crucial part of the Super Eagles squad for many years to come. The former Eintracht Frankfurt star won an Olympic gold medal and AFCON title with Nigeria while securing the AFCON golden boot in 2004.
Defensive Midfielder: Sunday Oliseh
Nigerian football fans remember Oliseh for his incredible goal against Spain in the 1994 World Cup. He went on to play a key role in the Super Eagles’ 1996 triumph at the Atlanta Olympics.
Oliseh’s performances for Nigeria attracted interest from European clubs in the late 90s. The versatile midfielder went on to win an Eredivisie title with Ajax in 1998 before winning the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2002.
Attacking Midfielder: Kanu Nwankwo
Kanu is one of the most decorated Nigerian players of all time at the club level. After winning the Olympic gold medal with the Super Eagles in 1996, Kanu won his first African Footballer of the Year award.
Only three years later, the Arsenal star repeated his success, securing his place among the continent’s all-time greats. After winning the Champions League with Ajax in 1995, Kanu joined Arsenal’s ‘invincible’ team, where he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
Forwards
Left Winger: Finidi George
Similar to Kanu, George rose to prominence when he was playing for Ajax in the mid-90s. A fast-paced and highly technical winger, George soon became a regular starter in one of Nigeria’s strongest teams of all time.
He won the AFCON with Nigeria in 1994, a year before his unforgettable Champions League triumph with Ajax. After leaving the Eredivisie giants in 1996, he moved to Spain, where he played for Real Betis and Mallorca.
Right Winger: Emmanuel Amunike
Amunike was at the peak of his career when Nigeria won the AFCON in 1994. He won the African Footballer of the Year in the same year while he was playing for Sporting Lisbon.
His journey in European football took him to Barcelona, where he won the La Liga in 1997. Amunike’s excellent ball control and pace earned him a regular spot in the Nigeria squad. However, several injuries prevented the former Albacete star from regaining his best form after the Super Eagles’ 1996 Olympic win.
Striker: Rashidi Yekini
Yekini has no close contenders for the title of the best Nigerian striker of all time. His great physicality and spatial awareness made him a reliable choice for the Super Eagles’ attacking unit for many years.
The former FC Zurich star was the first Nigerian to have scored in the World Cup, finding the back of the net against Bulgarian in 1994. Yekini scored 37 goals in his 57 appearances for the Super Eagles, winning the AFCON Golden Boot in 1992 and 1994.
Yekini’s incredible stats of 34 goals in 32 games for Vitoria Setubal earned him an African Footballer of the Year award in 1993.
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