Top 5 best Nigerian strikers to play for the Super Eagles

Nigeria has a great football history, highlighted by the amazing skills of its strikers who have played for the Super Eagles team. These players have helped the national team win and have also become famous in the sport. Here are the top 5 best Nigerian strikers who have played for the Super Eagles: 

1. Rashidi Yekini

Rashidi Yekini gained fame as a prominent Nigerian striker in the world of football. He is the highest goal scorer ever for the Super Eagles team. During his career, which lasted over twenty years, Yekini became most famous for playing at Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal, but he also played in six other countries. As a Nigerian player, he scored 37 goals and played for his country in seven big tournaments, including two World Cups. He made history by scoring Nigeria's very first goal in a World Cup. Yekini's great performances made him the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.

2. Segun Odegbami

Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, usually called Segun Odegbami, is a retired Nigerian soccer player who played as a forward. He played 46 games and scored 23 goals for the Nigeria national team. He helped the team win their first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 at home. Odegbami was called "Mathematical" because he was very precise, quick, and skilled on the right side of the field. He was famous for his accurate passes and smart play. He played for IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan for his whole career, from 1970 to 1984. His last game was the 1984 African Champions Cup final, where they lost to Zamalek from Egypt. The name "Mathematical" came from his engineering studies at The Polytechnic, which is the top technical school in Ibadan, Nigeria.

3. Yakubu Ayegbeni

Yakubu Ayegbeni, or Yakubu for short, is a Nigerian former football professional. Called "The Yak," he became well-known during the 2002-03 UEFA Champions League while playing for Maccabi Haifa, which helped him get a loan to the English team Portsmouth. After helping the team get promoted to the Premier League in 2003, Yakubu's transfer became permanent. He played in more than 250 Premier League games for teams like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers. He scored 96 goals, making him the fourth-highest African scorer in Premier League history. He is the third highest scorer for Nigeria's national soccer team. He played in four Africa Cup of Nations finals, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 Summer Olympics.

4. Victor Osimhen 

Victor James Osimhen is a Nigerian soccer player. He plays as a striker for the Galatasaray team in Turkey, but he is on loan from the Napoli team in Italy. He also plays for the Nigeria national team. Osimhen is seen as one of the best goal scorers in the world. He is famous for his accurate shots, speed, strength, and athletic ability. He gained international fame after winning the Golden Boot at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where Nigeria emerged victorious. Osimhen played his first game for Nigeria's senior team in June 2017. He has also played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2023, where he helped the team get to the final, but they just missed winning against the host country, Ivory Coast. 

Currently, Osimhen is tied for third place on Nigeria's list of highest goal scorers ever. In May 2023, he was named a Member of the Federal Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari. Osimhen made history at the 2023 Ballon d'Or awards by finishing in eighth place. He is the first Nigerian to be in the top ten of this important award. He was named African Footballer of the Year at the 2023 CAF Awards, making him the first Nigerian to win this award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

5. Obafemi Martins 

Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins is a retired Nigerian football player who played as a forward and was known for his amazing speed. During his time with Inter Milan, Martins had impressive achievements. He won the Serie A title, the Italian Cup two times, and the Italian Super Cup. He became well-known at Birmingham City by scoring the winning goal in the 2011 Football League Cup Final. 

Martins had a successful career in Europe, playing for teams like Inter, Newcastle United, and Wolfsburg. He also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup with Newcastle. His best scoring seasons are when he scored 11 goals in the 2004-05 Serie A, and 17 goals in both the 2006-07 Premier League and the 2014 MLS. 

Martins was a member of the Nigerian team in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008, and 2010, and he also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2010.