The Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles have produced great goalscorers who have excelled not only in Africa but also throughout the world.
From the days of Late Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun, Sunny Oyarekhua, Josiah Dombraye, Yakubu Mambo, Paul Hamilton and Segun Olumodeji in the old Red Devils of Nigeria to Segun Odegbami, Thompson Usiyen, Kunle Awesu, Baba Otu Mohammed, Ifeanyi Onyedika, Emmanuel Osigwe and John Chiedozie of the old Green Eagles down to the great Rasheed Yekinni, Daniel Amokachi, Obafemi Martins, Samson Siasia, Osaze Odemwigie and John Utaka of the now renamed Super Eagles, the Nigerian National Team has been known for its lethal strikers.
However, here are the five strikers who have scored the most goals in the Super Eagles shirt.
(1) Rashidi Yekini
Rashidi Yekini is the undisputed goal king of the Super Eagles, he began his soujourn as a Nigerian international in 1984 and played for 14 years culminating in his second appearance at the World Cup in France 98.
Yekini was strong, fast despite his huge frame, good with both feet and possesses thunderous bullets; he was a nightmare to goal keepers.
The goal king scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal and was the first Nigerian to win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year Award in 1993.
Yekini also finished as top scorer at the African Cup of Nations in Senegal in 1992 and Tunisia 1994. He still the third highest scorer ever in the AFCoN history with 13 goals. Only Lauren Pokou of Cote Divoire and Samuel Eto’o Fils of Cameroun have scored more.
He scored 37 goals in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles.
His career started with UNTL Kaduna in 1981 but gained prominence, popularity and money when he transferred to the Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan. He also played for Abiola Babes of Abeokuta before moving to Africa Sports of Abidjan where he helped the team won the Africa Cup Winners Cup alongside with another late Super Eagles, Thompson Oliha.
From Africa Sports, he went to Europe, joining Victoria Setubal in Portuguese First Division winning the highest goal scorer in his first season with 34 goals and was second highest scorer in Europe.
Yekinni also played for Olympiacos of Greece and Sporting Gijon of Spain before returning to Nigeria and ended his football career in 2005 with Gateway in the Nigeria professional Football League where he played 26 games and scored 7 goals.
Yekini died in Ibadan on May 4, 2012 at the age of 48.
(2) Segun Odegbami
‘Mathematical’ Segun Odegbami ranks second on this list despite last playing for the Super Eagles in 1981, a year after helping Nigeria lift its first African Cup of Nations title on home soil in Lagos. He was joint top scorer with 3 goals including two in the final match against Algeria.
Renowned for his skill, pace and the precision of his crosses, Odegbami wore the green and white jersey of the Super Eagles for five years (1976 to 1981).
He was a one club player starring only for IICC Shooting Stars between 1970 to 1984 winning three league titles, two FA Cups and an African Cup Winners’ Cup championship. He was a member of the Shooting Stars team that lost the African Cup of Champions to Zamalek of Egypt on home soil in 1984.
He was voted second best player in Africa in 1980 behind Manga Ougene of Cameroun.
Odegbami was the only Nigerian Included in the African Team of the Century in a poll organised by African Soccer published by respected African football writer and analyst, Emmanuel Maradas.
Odegbami played 47 times for Nigeria scoring 22 goals.
(3) Yakubu Aiyegbeni
The Yak was a prolific scorer for both club and country. He made waves in the English Premier League were he scored 95 goals placing third in the all-time list of African scorers behind Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor 97 goals and Cote d’ Ivoire’s Didier Drogba 104 goals.
The Yak starred for the Super Eagles between 2000 and 2012 and scored 21 goals in 57 caps. He won bronze with the team at the African Cup of Nations in 2002, 2004 and 2010, the Yak also played at the World Cup in 2010 scoring a goal in the game against South Korea.
He is good with both feet and also good in the air. He was the first African to score a UEFA Champions League hat trick. He scored four hat tricks in the English premier League.
The Yak retired from active football on November 22, 2017 on his 35th birthday.
(4) Ikechukwu Uche
The Abia State born 35 year old former Nigerian international played most of his professional football in Spain. He scored 42 goals in 192 La Liga matches.
Famous for his acrobatic celebrations Uche scored 19 goals in 46 appearances for the Super Eagles to place 4th on this list.
He was an AFCON champion with the Eagles in 2013 and also played at the 2008 Nations Cup in Ghana.
Uche is skillful and fast, he is right footed but also good with his left foot. He can play from the right in a three man attack.
He played for Getafe and Villareal in the Spanish La Liga.
(5) Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Martins was so prolific in front of goal that he was nicknamed Obagol. The speed star starred for Inter Milan in the Seria A and won the scudetto once and the Italian Cup twice. He played 88 games and scored 28 goals in the Seria A. He also scored 28 goals in 92 games in the English Premier League playing in the colours of Newcastle United.
While on loan in England from Russian club Rubin Kazan, he scored the winning goal for Birmingham City against their more illustrious opponent Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup Final.
Martins also played for Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga; Levante in the Spanish La Liga; Seatle Sounders in the Major League Soccer of America and is now playing in the Chinese Super League.
For the Super Eagles, Obagol made his debut in May 2004 and went on to play 42 times scoring 18 goals.
