Nigeria have earned the reputation of producing some of the best footballers in the world. Blesses with natural flair and ability, many Nigerian stars have gone on to make their country proud in different leagues around the globe.
Although the three-time AFCON winners of have found it hard to maintain their consistency over the past few years, there is plenty of optimism amongst the current breed of Nigerian footballers, with a good number of them making heads turn in major European leagues.
With the English Premier League and some other well-known leagues back in action, it would be interesting to see how Nigerian footballers fare in the ongoing and future football seasons.
But For now, let’s tell you about the top Nigerian footballers who are making their presence felt in the world of football today.
Wilfred Ndidi
Armed with many top-rated performances, the defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has continued to improve his reputation over the past few seasons. He has emerged to become Leicester City’s standout players once again this season.
An integral part of a midfield trio comprising of Youri Tielemans, James Maddison and himself, Ndidi is the man that gives balance to the team. He’s the link between attack and defence, while he also breaks up opposition’s attacking play.
The talented 23-year-old has proven himself as an extremely tough nut to crack in the defensive midfield. Apart from his defensive abilities, he has also developed a knack for scoring some long-range screamers. His ability to break into defensive lines makes Ndidi a complete midfielder in every sense.
Alex Iwobi
Much was expected from Iwobi having made it through the ranks at Arsenal academy. After four years at the club, Iwobi joined Everton last summer.
Although he didn’t live up to the hype created around him after debuting for the Gunners at 19 (in 2015), the 150 appearances he made for the club gave him ample experience to fit into any top football side, including Everton.
Iwobi is known for his manoeuvrability and explosiveness with the ball.
Samuel Chukwueze
Samuel Chukwueze has firmly established himself as one of the most dependable players at Villarreal CF today. In fact, he is widely talked about as the biggest football talent export from Nigeria in recent years.
Often compared with Arjen Robben, Samuel is blessed with a hammer-like left foot and explosive pace, quite like the Dutchman.
The 20-year-old youngster is being tipped for bigger things in the future, attracting interest from none other than Liverpool, the European champions and the Premier League winners this season.
His outrageous dribbling ability apart from many other facets of his gameplay makes him an extremely sought after prospect for teams looking for world-class wingers.
Victor Osimhen
Dubbed one of the best young strikers in the world, Victor Osimhen has proven to the world this season that he is up there among the best number 9s in his age category.
The Lille striker is known for his aggressive and daring style of play and has been praised for his gunmanship inside the 18-yard box.
Osimhen is a player of great versatility as he’s capable of playing anywhere in attack although his major position is a fox in the box deadly number 9.
The 21-year old netted a total of 13 goals in 25 Ligue 1 starts this season for Lille making him the club’s top scorer in the competition and fourth overall only behind Kylian Mbappe, Wissam Ben Yedder and Moussa Dembele.
In all competitions, Osimhen has racked up 18 goals and six assists for the black and red side this season. It is also worth noting that he’s scored four goals in just nine games for the Super Eagles of Nigeria. He’s quick, strong and always seems to know where the goalpost is. He’s a real-time killer in front of goal.
Odion Ighalo
The only player on our list who’s retired from international football but that should not distract you from a well-known fact that Ighalo has still got it in his boots.
Now at Manchester United on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, Ighalo is showing his talents and capability every time he’s given a chance to perform for the Red Devils, scoring five times in 11 games for Ole Gunner Solksjear’s men.
Ighalo is known for his fighting spirit and excellent positioning in front of goal. He’s also quick and a good ball-carrier too.
He’s the complete package as he can not only score but also creates chances for his teammates to grab one for themselves. He’s a wonderful goal-poacher.
