- Nwankwo Kanu
Nwankwo Kanu (born August 1, 1976 in Owerri, Nigeria), usually known simply as Kanu, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Nigerian national team and for English club Portsmouth. He is the most highly-decorated African footballer in footballing history, with over 10 awards to boast of, including a UEFA Champions League medal, a UEFA Cup medal and two African Player of the Year awards.
- Joseph Yobo
Joseph Ikpo Yobo is a Nigerian football player currently with Everton F.C. He joined Everton on loan from Olympique Marseille in July 2002, with a £1M fee required to register the player, becoming the first signing of new manager David Moyes. An option to make the move permanent was taken up and completed in 2003 after a dispute between Yobo and Marseille was settled, with Everton agreeing a fixed additional fee of £4M.
- Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born October 28, 1984 in Lagos, Nigeria is a Nigerian football player who plays as a striker for the Nigeria national team, and for the English club Newcastle United.
- John Utaka
John Utaka (born January 8, 1982) is a Nigerian football player. He has played for several clubs across three continents, first for Arab Contractors and subsequently Ismaily of Egypt, then spending a season playing for Al Sadd of Qatar, before joining Racing Lens in France. He now plays for Portsmouth in England. He is able to play in all attacking positions, but prefers to lurk behind the forward as a shadow striker.
- Austin Ejide
Austin Ejide (born 8 April, 1984 in Onitsha, Nigeria) is a Nigerian football goalkeeper. He played for a few clubs, including Gabros International and SC Bastia in Corsica, which is competing in the French Football League (LFP). He plays for Nigeria national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He is very famous for being highly rated in FIFA 07 game in which he is one of the best goalkeepers.
- Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (born August 14, 1973 in Enugu) is a Nigerian football midfielder who currently plays in the Qatar league for Qatar SC, a move that was completed in July 2006.
- Stephen Makinwa
Stephen Ayodele Makinwa (born 26 July 1983 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian football striker, who currently plays for Italian Serie A side Lazio and Nigeria. Discovered in 2000 by Reggiana while playing for Nigerian local side Football Club Ebedei, Makinwa started his Italian football experience moving on loan to Serie D team Conegliano. In 2001 he moved to Serie B team Como squad, as Como bought 50% of the rights to the player, however, …
- Samson Siasia
Samson Siasia (born August 14, 1967 in Lagos) is a former football striker from Nigeria. He played 46 international matches for Nigeria, in which he scored thirteen goals, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and won the 1994 African Nations Cup. He participated in the National Team over a period of 11 years and was recognized in Nigeria as the third leading scorer for the National Team.
- Celestine Babayaro
Celestine Babayaro (born August 29, 1978 in Kaduna, Nigeria) is a footballer who plays left-back and is currently contracted to Newcastle United of the English Premiership. Babayaro began his playing career at Nigerian side, Plateau United before moving to Belgium and Brussels outfit, Anderlecht in 1994 and made a name for himself through his performances for Nigeria in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where the African nation won the golden medal.
- Segun Odegbami
Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, often shortened to Segun Odegbami (born August 27, 1952 in Lagos) was a Nigerian football forward, who was brought up in the northern city of Jos. He won 46 caps and scored 23 goals for his country, and guided Nigeria to its first African Nations title at the 1980 African Nations Cup. Nicknamed "Mathematical", he was famous for his skill on the ball, speed and precision of his crosses from the right wing.
- Vincent Enyeama
Vincent Enyeama (born August 29, 1982) is a Nigerian football goalkeeper. Since 2002, he is playing for the national team of Nigeria and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Enyeama was selected for the 2002 World Cup as a cover for Ike Shorunmu. He only played one match in that tournament, but has since taken over the spot after Shorunmu's international retirement. Since then he has been the first-choice goalkeeper for the national team, playing in the 2004 and 2006.
- Daniel Amokachi
Daniel Owefin Amokachi nicknamed "The black bull" (born December 30, 1972 in Kaduna) is a former football striker from Nigeria. He played many international matches for Nigeria, and was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1998 FIFA World Cup and won the 1994 African Nations Cup. He also helped win the Olympic gold medal in 1996. While playing for Ranchers Bees, Amokachi was discovered by Nigerian national team coach Clemens Westerhof, …
- Clemens Westerhof
Clemens Westerhof (born May 3, 1940 in Beek) is a Dutch football manager, who has worked in various football positions on the African continent since 1989. He is most noted for his success with the Nigerian national team. Under Westerhof, the Super Eagles won the 1994 African Cup of Nations and also qualified for the second round of the FIFA World Cup that year. Westerhof began his career as an assistant coach with Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Rashidi Yekini
Rashidi Yekini (born October 23, 1964 in Kaduna) is a former football striker from Nigeria. Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria, he is the national record top goalscorer. Yekini was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup (where he scored Nigeria's first ever goal in a World Cup) and 1998 FIFA World Cup and won the 1994 African Nations Cup, a tournament in which he became top goalscorer. Yekini also played Olympic football, in Seoul 1988.
- Wilson Oruma
Wilson Oruma is a football midfielder from Nigeria. He became the tournament top goalscorer when Nigeria won the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championships. Some people feel he has "never really blossomed" beyond that level — nonetheless, he has played international matches for Nigeria, and was part of the team that participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He also helped win the Olympic gold medal in 1996, a year after he debuted for Nigeria.
- Christian Chukwu
Christian Chukwu is a Nigerian football coach and former defender. As a player, he became the captain of Enugu Rangers football club and the Nigeria national team in the late 1970s. He was the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy after a 3-0 victory over Algeria in the final of the 1980 tournament. Chukwu started his coaching career in Lebanon in the mid 1990s, before being appointed coach of the Kenya national team in 1998.
- Taribo West
Taribo West (born March 26, 1974 in Ajegunle, Lagos) is a Nigerian football defender. He currently plays for Julius Berger FC in Nigeria. West has had a successful career, playing for AJ Auxerre, Inter Milan, A.C. Milan, Derby County, FC Kaiserslautern, FK Partizan, Al-Arabi and Plymouth Argyle. He has been capped 41 times by the Nigerian national team and played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.
- Julius Aghahowa
Julius Aghahowa (born February 12, 1982 in Benin City, Nigeria) is a football striker from Nigeria who currently plays for Wigan Athletic in the English Premiership, after playing over six years for the Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk. He has played 32 matches and scored 14 goals for the Nigerian national team, including their only goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He became Nigeria's top goalscorer at the 2002 African Nations Cup. He also played at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
- Philippe Troussier
Omar Troussier is a former French football (soccer) player and now a manager. Known as the "White Witch Doctor" for his success with African club teams such as Asec Abidjan of the Côte d'Ivoire and the national teams of Nigeria, South Africa and Burkina Faso, Troussier is best known as a coach for his time spent with the Japanese national team. Troussier coached Japanese national team from 1998 to 2002, winning the 2000 Asian Cup, …
- Sunday Oliseh
Sunday Oliseh (born April 14, 1974 in Abavo, Delta State) is a former Nigerian footballer. He played 40 international matches and scored 2 goals for Nigeria, and played at the Football World Cups of 1994 and 1998. Oliseh also participated in the Olympic gold medal winning team of 1996. A midfielder, Oliseh played for well known clubs such as Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus.
- Emmanuel Kundé
Emmanuel Kundé is a Cameroonian former professional football defender. He competed for the Cameroon national team at the World Cups of 1982 and 1990, and won the 1984 and 1988 African Nations Cups. He scored the winning goal in the 1988 African Nations Cup final against Nigeria on a penalty kick. In the quarterfinal match against England in the 1990 World Cup, he scored to equalize the score 1-1, also via a penalty kick.
- Victor Ikpeba
Victor Nosa Ikpeba is a football striker from Nigeria. He has played thirty international matches and scored three goals for Nigeria, and played at the Football World Cups in 1994 and 1998. He also helped win the 1994 African Nations Cup and the Olympic gold medal in 1996. Ikpeba was discovered by Belgian club RFC Liégeois during the 1989 FIFA U-17 World Championship, and moved to play in Belgium together with teammate Sunday Oliseh.
- Finidi George
Finidi George (born April 15, 1971 in Port Harcourt) is a Nigerian former footballer. He played at the Football World Cups in 1994 and 1998. Finidi made his international debut in an African Nations Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in 1991. He provided three assists for Rashidi Yekini and scored one goal in a match the Nigerians won 7-1. A midfielder, Finidi came to Europe in 1993 to play for Ajax. He also played in England and Spain.
- Rabiu Afolabi
Rabiu Afolabi is a Nigerian soccer player. He is a strong and lanky central defender, who is good aerially and has a thunderous shot. He is also very versatile and can play as a fullback or defensive midfielder as well. Dangerous on set pieces. He left his home country for Belgian outfit Standard Liège after impressing at the 1997 edition of the Meridian Cup. Played a vital role for Nigeria in the 1999 African Youth Championship, …
- Alfio Basile
Alfio Rubén Basile, known as Coco, is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player. In September 2006, he became coach of the Argentina national football team, replacing José Pekerman.
- Garba Lawal
Garba Lawal (born May 22, 1974 in Kaduna) is a football striker from Nigeria. He took part at the Football World Cups in 1998 and 2002. He won the Olympic gold medal in 1996. On club level, Lawal has had his most successful time at Roda JC in the Dutch Eredivisie.
- Mudashiru Lawal
Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal (born June 8, 1954 in Abeokuta, died 1991 in Ibadan) was a Nigerian football midfielder. He won 86 caps and scored 12 goals for his country, and is still the most capped Nigerian player. Lawal guided Nigeria to its first African Nations title, at the 1980 African Nations Cup. The team also competed at the Summer Olympics the same year. He worked as a mechanic when his football talents were discovered, making his national team debut in 1975.
- Peter Rufai
Peter Rufai (born August 24, 1963 in Lagos) is a former football goalkeeper from Nigeria. He played 65 international matches and scored 1 goal for Nigeria, and played at the Football World Cups in 1994 and 1998 as well as winning the 1994 African Nations Cup. Rufai became the first Nigerian goalkeeper to play abroad as he signed for Beninese team Dragon FC in 1986. He eventually moved to Europe, his most successful spell being for Portuguese team SC Farense.
- Uche Okechukwu
Uche Alozie Okechukwu, known as Uche for short, is a Nigerian former football player, who played 44 matches as a defender for the Nigeria national football team, with whom he won the 1994 African Nations Cup and 1996 Summer Olympics. He also represented Nigeria in two FIFA World Cups. On club level, he most notably played with Danish club Brøndby IF and Fenerbahçe SK in Turkey, winning the national championship twice with both clubs.
- Ifeanyi Emeghara
Ifeanyi Emeghara (born March 24, 1984 in Lagos) is a Nigerian football player. The young and versatile defender can be seen on both sides of the pitch and is often remarked due to his good technique. Since June 2007 he is under contract with Steaua Bucharest. Amongst his childhood friends and teammates are the likes of Obafemi Martins and Stephen Makinwa.
- Onyekachi Okonkwo
Onyekachi "Tico" Okonkwo (born 13 May 1982) is a Nigerian football (soccer) midfielder. Okonkwo was a member of Enyimba's winning side in the 2003 MTN CAF Champions League and 2004 MTN CAF Champions League finals. During his two-year stay in South Africa he was arguably one of the club's most influential players even scoring the decisive goal against his former club Enyimba to lead the Johannesbrg-based club to the 2006 MTN CAF Champions League semifinals.
- Victor Nsofor Obinna
Victor Nsofor Obinna (born 25 March 1987 in Jos) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for A.C. Chievo Verona. His favoured position is usually as a striker, he participated in the 2006 African Cup Of Nations with his country of birth Nigeria. Obinna, considered a very promising youngster, was signed by Chievo in 2005 and on his first season he managed to score 6 goals in 26 games for the Verona giants, …
- Tijjani Babangida
Tijjani Babangida (born September 25, 1973 in Kaduna) is a former football winger from Nigeria. He played 40 international matches and scored 5 goals for Nigeria, and played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, in the process scoring one of the goals of the tournament with a thunderous volley from the right side. He also won the Olympic gold medal in 1996. Babangida came to the Netherlands at the age of seventeen, and was signed by VVV Venlo.
- Bora Milutinović
Velibor "Bora" Milutinović is a Serbian football coach, and the only person to have coached five different teams at the World Cup: Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), the United States (1994), Nigeria (1998), and China (2002). He is also the first coach to take four different teams beyond the first round, before failing to do so with China. In the summer of 2003, Milutinović was in serious negotiations to finally take over the national team at his native Serbia-Montenegro.
- Ike Shorunmu
Ike Shorunmu is a football goalkeeper from Nigeria. He has been the fist-choice goalkeeper of the national team, and played at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Shorumu was brought into the Nigerian national team by coach Clemens Westerhof in 1992. After a few years he moved to play in Switzerland, and made his mark there. He was bought by Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K. in 1999 for $2,400,000 — but they released him as they thought he spent too much time with the national team.
- Mutiu Adepoju
Mutiu Adepoju (born December 22, 1970 in Ibadan) is a Nigerian former football midfielder who played for several European clubs and mostly in Spain in the 1990s and 2000s and was a member of the Nigeria national team in three World Cups. He left Nigeria in 1989 to join Castilla CF, Real Madrid's reserve team. He was transferred to first division club Racing Santander, where he was a regular. He eventually left Santander for Real Sociedad, a larger club, …
- Greg Etafia
Greg Etafia (born September 30, 1982) is a Nigerian football goalkeeper. Since 2003, he is playing for the national team of Nigeria.
- Benedict Akwuegbu
Benedict Akwuegbu is a Nigerian football player. He played for a few clubs, including RC Harelbeke (Belgium), Grazer AK (Austria), Shenyang Haishi and Changsha Ginde (China), FC Kärnten (Austria), FC Wacker Tirol (Austria) and Sportfreunde Siegen in Germany. He now plays for Panserraikos in Greece. He plays for Nigeria national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Recently (and unsuccessfully) on trial with Leeds United
- Sani Kaita
Sani Kaita (born on May 2, 1986) is a Nigerian footballer (midfielder) playing currently for Sparta Rotterdam.He joined this club in 2005/2006 season from Kano Pillars FC. He is also a member of Nigeria national football team
- Samuel Okwaraji
Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji (1964 - August 12, 1989) was a professional footballer who played internationally for Nigeria. Born in Orlu, Okwaraji had a career in Europe which included playing for Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart and SSV Ulm. Okwaraji collapsed ten minutes from the end of a World Cup Qualifier against Angola in Lagos and died from congestive heart failure. An autopsy showed that the 24-year-old had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure.