Top 5 Nigerian footballers of the last 20 years

Published: October 11, 2021

With a huge population of more than one hundred million, Nigeria is a country with a lot of sporting interests.

However, one of the games that are celebrated by many is football. It all started back in 1949 when a group of footballers from Nigeria was recruited and formed the ‘UK Tourists’.

This team represented the country in Europe and it has been responsible for producing some of the best footballers in Africa.

Titus Okere was the first Nigerian footballer to join Swindon Town FC and play internationally back in 1953.

Since then, many talented football players emerged from this big country. In this post, we are going to discuss the top five Nigerian footballers in the last twenty years.

1. Sunday Oliseh

Sunday Oliseh is a popular Nigerian football player and manager who played as a defensive midfielder during his active years.

His football career started in 1989 and ended in 2006. During this time, he played for huge teams such as Ajax, RFC Liege, Genk, and Juventus to name a few.

He also managed various clubs such as Verviétois, Fortuna Sittard, and Eupen. When he was 19, his exceptional player skills earned him a $1.8 million move from Reggiana to Koln.

He played at the FIFA World Cup for Nigeria from 1994 to 1998. He is remembered for scoring a goal and winning at the best online casino since 1998.

2. Jay-Jay Okocha

Augustine Okocha popularly known as Jay-Jay was born in 1973 and played as a midfielder during his active years from 1998 to 2008.

During this period, he was popularly known for his confidence, technique, and dribbling skills.

During his active years, he played for big teams such as Paris Saint-Germain, Qatar SC, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bolton Wanderers, and Hull City to name a few. He managed to score 14 goals during his time and participated in 75 international games.

After retiring, he became a business mogul who owns several enterprises in Nigeria.

3. Stephen Keshi

Stephen Keshi is a popular football manager and Nigerian player who was born in 1962. However, he died in 2016 after suffering a heart attack in his home.

During his active years, he played as a defender in 64 international games and managed to score nine goals for his country.

He pushed his team to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations back in 1994. He is one of the few people who has managed to win a tournament at ojo.net casino both as a manager and player.

His football career started in 1979 and he played for five nations. During his 56th birthday, he was honored by Google when it changed its logo in Nigeria to him.

4. Kanu Nwankwo

Kanu was born in 1976 and was a forward player who led the Nigerian national team for seventeen years.

His career began in 1992 and he played for Ajax, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Inter Milan, and West Bromwich.

Kanu is one of the most successful Nigerian footballers with more than twenty accolades including the 1996 Olympic gold medal.

He also made the most substitute appearances in the history of the UK Premier League. He has scored twelve goals in the Champions League and made 87 international appearances.

Kanu was bought by Arsenal for $5.15 million back in 1999. He has heavily invested in hospitality, real estate, and oil.

5. Taribo West

Taribo West is a popular defense player who was born in 1974. He is known for his colorful and unique hairstyles.

He started his career in 1989 by playing for Obanta United. He joined Auxerre in 1993 and pushed them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA league.

His career has been unstable because he moved to different teams in a short period. While he didn’t score for Nigeria during his active years, he managed to play 42 international games.

Conclusion

Nigeria is home to some of the best football players in the world. Who is your favorite player on the field today?