Nigeria have produced some of the finest footballers to play in the Premier League, with over 60 players from the country featuring in the competition since its inception in 1992, Soccernet.ng reports.
While many have made their mark – Austin Okocha at Bolton Wanderers, Finidi George at Ipswich Town, and John Mikel Obi at Chelsea – only a select few have had the distinction of scoring a hat-trick.
Here, we look at the five Nigerian players who have achieved that feat.
Nigerian football legend: Efan Ekoku (Norwich City)
Efan Ekoku made history in September 1993 when he became the first African player to score a Premier League hat-trick.
The former Nigeria international went a step further, netting four times in Norwich City's 5-1 demolition of Everton at Goodison Park.
Ekoku's achievements were not limited to domestic football. Earlier that month, he scored Norwich's first-ever goal in European competition, finding the net against Vitesse Arnhem in the UEFA Cup.
At the international level, he earned five caps for Nigeria, featuring in the Super Eagles' triumphant 1994 Africa Cup of Nations campaign and making an appearance at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Nigerian football legend: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal)
Nwankwo Kanu, widely regarded as one of Africa's greatest footballers, enjoyed a highly successful career at Arsenal between 1998 and 2003.
The Nigerian forward scored 44 goals for the Gunners, but his most iconic moment came in October 1999 when he netted a sensational hat-trick in a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Kanu’s footballing CV is glittering. A member of Arsenal's famous ‘Invincibles' squad that went unbeaten in the 2003/04 Premier League season, he also won the Champions League, UEFA Cup, Premier League, FA Cup, and an Olympic gold medal—one of the few players in history to achieve such a feat.
His individual accolades include two African Player of the Year awards and recognition as one of Arsenal’s greatest-ever players.
23/10/99 – Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
— My Greatest 11 (@MyGreatest11) October 23, 2023
Kanu 75’ Kanu 83’ Kanu 90’
“KAN U believe it!”pic.twitter.com/fkdAmHbVkY
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Nigerian football legend: Peter Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion)
Peter Odemwingie made an instant impact upon arriving in the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion in 2010, becoming a key figure for the Baggies across three seasons.
The Nigerian forward bagged 30 league goals for the club and was named Premier League Player of the Month on three occasions.
His most memorable moment came in February 2012 when he fired a hat-trick in West Brom’s emphatic 5-1 win over Wolves in a Black Country derby.
Despite a controversial attempted move to Queens Park Rangers that saw him fall out of favour at West Brom, Odemwingie continued his career in England with Cardiff City and Stoke City.
On the international stage, he earned over 60 caps for Nigeria, playing in two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments while also winning a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics.
Nigerian football legend: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)
Kelechi Iheanacho arrived at Leicester City from Manchester City in 2017 and enjoyed seven seasons with the Foxes. His most prolific campaign came in 2020/21 when he scored 19 goals across all competitions.
In March 2021, Iheanacho registered his first Premier League hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield United. It was a defining moment in his career, as he went on to play a pivotal role in Leicester's FA Cup triumph that season.
A highly decorated youth international, Iheanacho won the Golden Ball at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, helping Nigeria lift the trophy. He later represented the Super Eagles at the 2018 World Cup and multiple AFCON tournaments, finishing as a runner-up in 2023.
Nigerian football legend: Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Portsmouth, Everton & Blackburn Rovers)
Yakubu Aiyegbeni remains one of the most prolific African strikers to have played in the Premier League, scoring 96 goals — the fourth-highest tally by an African in the competition's history.
Remarkably, he is the only Nigerian to score hat-tricks for multiple Premier League clubs.
The powerful forward hit his first for Portsmouth in a 5-1 win over Middlesbrough in May 2004 before netting another against Fulham in a 4-3 victory later that year.
He repeated the feat for Everton in December 2007, again against Fulham, before scoring four goals in a single game for Blackburn Rovers in a 4-2 win over Swansea City in December 2011.
At international level, Yakubu scored 21 goals for Nigeria, making him the fourth-highest scorer in Super Eagles history. He represented his country at four AFCON tournaments, the 2010 World Cup, and the 2000 Olympics.
