FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 Nigerian footballers of all time

10. Vincent Enyeama (2002-present, 89 caps, no goals)
There arguably won't be a more in-form goalkeeper
heading to Brazil than Enyeama. An ever-present for
Lille, the 31-year-old became the first ever goalkeeper
to win Ligue 1's African Footballer of the Year award.
He is also the maiden Nigerian to claim the accolade.
Many feel that the recognition was deserved, having
conceded just 25 goals in 37 outings between the posts.
Speaking recently, the gloveman said: "It's amazing, a
great honour and I deeply appreciate it. I must first give
glory to God, my teammates, family and our beautiful
fans for their remarkable support. It's a reward for team
effort and having great people in front of me. Together
we've endured a tough but interesting season."
His international career got underway fully at the 2002
World Cup where he kept a clean sheet against England
in the group stages, while in 2010, although Nigeria
were beaten 1-0 by Argentina, his performance to deny
Lionel Messi on numerous occasions was lauded. Only
Joseph Yobo has represented the African nation on more
occasions that Enyeama, who captained Nigeria to the
Africa Cup of Nations trophy last year.
9. Patrick Odegbami (1976-1982, 46 caps, 23 goals)
Nicknamed Mathematical because he had graduated
through college, the major regret surrounding
Odegbami's international career is surely that he only
represented Nigeria for six years.
That's not to say that it wasn't a successful stint,
though. In 1980, he was the joint leading goalscorer
alongside Morocco's Khalid Labied as Nigeria won the
Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history.
Unsurprisingly, he was also included within the Team of
the Tournament.
Where his club career was concerned, Odegbami spent
all of his playing time in his homeland with Shooting
Stars.
8. Sunday Oliseh (1993-2002, 63 caps, four goals)
You don't play for clubs of the ilk of Juventus, Ajax and
Borussia Dortmund unless you possess a large amount
of ability. Oliseh's main asset was his passing, which
more often than not was extremely accurate.
While he can count titles in Holland and Germany
among his honours list, it will be the gold medal that he
won while on international duty that is likely to take
pride of place. He was instrumental as Nigeria knocked
out Brazil at the semi-final stage of Atlanta '96, before
beating Hernan Crespo's Argentina in the final.
In 1994, he also lifted the Africa Cup of Nations, as well
as receiving plaudits for the man-marking job that he
carried out on Diego Maradona at that year's World
Cup. Then, at France '98, he scored memorable goal
from distance against Spain.
7. Stephen Keshi (1981-1995, 64 caps, nine goals)
Nigeria's longest ever serving skipper, Keshi is revered
among Nigerian supporters. He featured at four Africa
Cup of Nations tournaments - collecting a winners'
medal in 1984 - and the 1994 World Cup in the USA.
Today, the fate of the Nigerian football team remains in
his hands, but in a different capacity. Following stints in
charge of Mali and Togo, the Nigerian Football
Association appointed Keshi as their head coach. He
made an almost instant impact, leading the Super
Eagles to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
During his playing career, the centre-back also opened
up the path for his fellow countrymen to move to Europe
when he switched to Belgian side Lokeren in 1986,
before he represented Anderlecht and Strasbourg.
6. Taribo West (1994-2002, 41 caps, no goals)
A defender famed for his many ridiculous hairstyles,
West was a part of the 1996 gold medal-winning
Nigeria side in Atalanta. He also featured prominently at
the World Cups in 1998 and 2002. His impact on
Nigerian football is so big that in his homeland there is
a club named Taribo West FC.
Having moved to France with Auxerre in 1993, West
went on to represent both Milan clubs, before heading to
the Premier League for what would turn out to be a
largely forgettable short stint with Derby County.
He would later go on to play for a host of other clubs
around the globe - including Plymouth Argyle - before
bringing the curtain down on a hectic career in 2008.
5. Finidi George (1991-2002, 62 caps, six goals)
Wingers are famed for being inconsistent performers at
the best of times, but it's not an accusation that can be
aimed at George. He arrived at Ajax in 1993, where his
goals helped the Amsterdammers to win three Eredivisie
titles and the Champions League once.
When he made the move to Real Betis in 1996, he was
regarded to be one of the best wingers in world football.
His performances in Spain were believed to have
captured the attention of Real Madrid at one stage, but
the move fell through. George then spent a season that
ended in relegation from the Premier League with
Ipswich Town, but overall, it was a largely successful
club career.
His time at international level was also a positive one.
On debut against Burkina Faso he set up three goals in
a 7-1 win, as well as scoring against Greece at the
1994 World Cup.
4. Uche Okechukwu (1990-2002, 46 caps, two goals)
Following the retirement of Keshi, the captaincy was
handed to Okechukwu, who took on the responsibility
with minimal fuss. Like many on this list, he won a gold
medal in 1996 and was also included in the squad that
won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994.
The centre-back featured heavily as an unfancied
Brondby reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in
1991, while he also lifted the Danish League title on two
occasions.
The majority of his career, though, was spent in Turkey
with Fenerbahce. He helped the Istanbul-based outfit to
win the Turkish League twice in 1996 and 2001. Also,
Okechukwu was in the starting lineup the night that
Fenerbahce ended Manchester United's 40-year
unbeaten European home record at Old Trafford in 1996.
3. Rashidi Yekini (1984-1998, 58 caps, 37 goals)
Yekini will forever be a Nigerian hero, largely because he
scored his nation's first ever World Cup goal during a
3-0 victory over Bulgaria at USA '94. What's more,
earlier that year at the Africa Cup of Nations, he was
the tournament's leading goalscorer with five strikes as
Nigeria won the title.
His most memorable stint at club level was spent in
Portugal with Vitoria FC, where his prolific streak helped
him to be voted the African Footballer of the Year in
1993 - the first player from his nation to win the award.
Sadly, in 2011, rumours started to surface surrounding
his ill health and in May 2012 it was confirmed that
Nigeria's leading goalscorer of all time had passed
away, although the cause of death was never officially
confirmed.
2. Jay-Jay Okocha (1993-2006, 75 caps, 14 goals)
So good they named him twice! In terms of dribbling
ability, there hasn't been a more effective African
footballer ever. Throughout his career, Okocha had a
real knack of luring in a defender, before going on to
beat them with a drop of the shoulder or a trick.
Having impressed with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt,
Fenerbahce and Paris Saint-Germain, it was with Bolton
Wanderers in the Premier League where his quality
majorly shone through. During his first season he
helped to keep the club in the division, before captaining
them to the League Cup final in 2004, where they were
defeated by Middlesbrough.
The 2005 African Footballer of the Year was one of the
mainstays of Nigeria's golden generation during the
1990s, which went a long way to him being included on
Pele 's list of the top 125 living footballers of all time in
2004.
1. Nwankwo Kanu (1994-2010, 86 caps, 13 goals)
Pipping Okocha into first spot is Kanu, who is Nigeria's
most decorated footballer. In the early part of his career
he won three Eredivisie titles and the Champions
League with Dutch side Ajax, before going on to lift the
UEFA Cup with Inter Milan in 1998.
He then switched to Arsenal in the summer of 1999,
where he would win a brace of Premier League titles
and FA Cups. Arguably his most memorable contribution
came in an away match at Chelsea, during which he
scored a 15-minute hat-trick to secure a 3-2 win.
The two-time African Football of the Year, who also
played for West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth, won
the Olympic gold medal in 1996 with Nigeria.