Nigeria's GOATs: 8-5

Nigeria's GOATs: Introduction and 10-9

The first part of this series, featuring an introduction, the laying out of the scoring criteria, and revealing nos. 10 and 9, can be read above. If you have not already, you should read that first.

8. Vincent Enyeama

Active years: 1999-2018

Honours: Nigeria Professional Football League x3, Israeli Premier League x1, Israel State Cup x2, CAF Champions League x2, Africa Cup of Nations x1

Individual awards: Africa Cup of Nations Golden Glove x2

Ability: 10

Club career: 5

International career: 5 (multiplier: 1.0)

Social impact: 1

Leadership: 2.5

Total: 23.5

One of the sobering realities of Nigerian football is that, historically, there have been very few footballers of Nigerian extraction who have, in the course of their career, maintained a level of performance that could be termed ‘world-class’ for a sustained period. Vincent Enyeama was one of them. 

At Lille, it was not uncommon for him to be spoken of in divine terms. Following a 2-0 win over Monaco, teammate Rio Mavuba joked that the club had Jesus in goal. Manager Rene Girard, reacting to Enyeama’s performance in a 2015 win over Montpelier, said, “It is God who is with us right now.”

While the highlight of his peak was in 2013, when he came within 115 minutes of Gaetan Huard’s Ligue 1 clean sheet record, there is an unmistakable streak of excellence that runs through his active years. Enyeama holds the record for consecutive international clean sheets for Nigeria, with eight amassed between 2008 and 2009, and was a stalwart in the great Enyimba side that won back-to-back CAF Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004.

Beyond the achievements though, what is most remarkable about Enyeama is that, in order to succeed, he has to grapple with – and overcome – socio-cultural biases. There is a tradition of the imposing, proactive (in terms of claiming crosses) goalkeeper that meant that Enyeama, standing at under 6 feet, was initially rejected out of hand and then questioned at every turn. When it was confirmed that he would be Nigeria’s starting goalkeeper at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the opinion of many pundits was that it was a disaster-in-waiting. Former Super Eagles coach Clemens Westerhof, in deriding him for lacking the “presence in the box to strike fear into opponents”, echoed a popular sentiment at the time, and during his brief stint in charge of the national team, Berti Vogts preferred the more imposing Austin Ejide.

It is testament to Enyeama’s brilliance that he answered every criticism, either by changing himself or changing the parameters. He was famously subbed off for penalty shoot-outs during Enyimba’s Champions League campaigns, but improved significantly and, interestingly, became an expert taker himself in addition to stopping them. Doubts over his lack of size were addressed by taking up more aggressive positions in one-on-ones while maintaining total calm—“All I usually do is to stand my ground when an attacker is in front of me. They are the ones under pressure to score,” he said. 

He compensated for his limited wingspan by becoming more explosive, building his legs “like springs”, and for his vulnerability on crosses by leaning into his reflexes. His distribution, already a feature from the early days of his career, improved even more.

All of these went toward a quite formidable resume, capped off by winning the 2013 AFCON and reaching the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, equalling Nigeria’s best-ever finish at the Mundial. He even boasts a Hall of Fame performance on the global stage in the form of his epic joust with Lionel Messi in 2010.

He scores low on social impact because, in all the ways described above, he was a one-off. Likewise, while he was captain at both Enyimba and the national team, leadership was a responsibility he had to grow into; it never quite sat right. By the end of his career, he was a mentor to younger players at Lille, but for much of his career he struggled with the weight of it. He was infamously stripped of the Enyimba captaincy following a harrowing 6-1 away defeat at Ismaily.

Not that it should obscure, or even tarnish, Enyeama’s greatness: without a doubt, he is Nigeria’s finest ever goalkeeper. Peter Rufai possessed a lot more charisma, Emmanuel Okala had an unrivalled intimidation factor, Inuwa Rigogo was, by all accounts, thrillingly athletic, but Enyeama stands alone. Even beyond the narrow confines of goalkeeper, his career more than merits a place here.

7. Christian Chukwu

Active years: 1974-1982

Honours: Nigeria Professional Football League x5, Federation Cup x4, African Cup Winners’ Cup x1, Africa Cup of Nations x1

Individual awards: Africa Cup of Nations Golden Ball x1

Ability: 9

Club career: 4

International career: 2.4 (multiplier: 0.6)

Social impact: 3.5

Leadership: 5

Total: 23.9

Nigeria has had its share of great captains in history, but Christian Chukwu was the first to truly become iconic, to define the role on a national scale. Some of that was to do with leading Nigeria to its first AFCON triumph in 1980, sure, but even before that grand achievement, the man they called ‘Chairman’ had already made a name for himself across the country.

As captain of Enugu Rangers, Chukwu dominated the landscape of Nigerian football in the 1970s, claiming three league titles and three domestic cups (two of each as part of league and cup doubles). This is remarkable in itself, considering the post-Civil War origins of the club: considered the avatar for the secessionist Eastern region, opponents were especially motivated to play against, and defeat, the Flying Antelopes. Ahead of the 1974 Cup final against Mighty Jets, erstwhile president Yakubu Gowon reportedly promised Aloysius Atuegbu a new car if he could lead the Jos-based side to success against Rangers. Despite ‘Blockbuster’ proceeding to play out of his skin, Mighty Jets were dispatched by two unreplied goals.

It was against the backdrop of all that adversity that Rangers thrived, winning both at home and on the continent. They were a consistent fixture in the latter stages of the old African Cup of Champions Clubs (the precursor to the Champions League), thrice reaching the last four in the 70s and claiming a league and continental double in 1977; in reaching the latter achievement, they not only became the second Nigerian club to win on the continent, but also the first to win the Cup Winners’ Cup without conceding a single goal. That they eliminated reigning champions Shooting Stars in the semi-finals only made the achievement that much sweeter.

At the centre of it all was Chukwu, a man of few words who led by example and commanded the utmost respect of his peers with his preternatural calmness under pressure. “He led the national side to greater heights with composure, on and off the field,” said former international Francis Moniedafe. “He was a true leader; his demeanour, particularly off the field, was regal.”

And yet, there was a lot more to Chukwu than his leadership – he is, without a doubt, one of the finest centre-backs the national team has ever seen. Stationed as the deepest defender, he was an excellent sweeper, clean in his tackling and boasting supreme anticipation and strength. Legitimately a nightmare to get around for strikers, he went about his work with the minimum of fuss, deploying his famous sangfroid both in dispossessing opponents and in organising the depth of the backline.

On the ball, ‘Chairman’ was also eminent, with the capacity to distribute the ball over all distances and shooting ability from set-pieces. There were also his famous sorties up the field, one of which culminated in a memorable goal against Egypt in 1977 from the acutest of angles after going past two players.

If there is a knock against him, it is that his international career was relatively short. With extreme prejudice to his ill-advised, one-game-only return against Algeria in 1981, he was more or less done with the national team by the 1980 AFCON. This was by choice, though, and he left on the loudest of ovations. In a tournament on home soil that was supercharged with pressure, Nigeria toiled to a place in history. The scoreline in the final – 3-0 against Algeria – may have suggested a stroll, but the path to it was anything but. 

In the end, it was the steady, guiding hand of Chukwu at the back that saw Nigeria over the line, with gargantuan defensive displays against, most notably, Egypt and Morocco. Nigeria kept four clean sheets in five matches en route, and Chukwu, as captain and leader at the back, was deservedly named player of the tournament.

6. Muda Lawal

Active years: 1975-1991

Honours: Nigeria Professional Football League x3, Federation Cup x2, African Cup Winners’ Cup x1, Africa Cup of Nations x1

Ability: 8.5

Club career: 4

International career: 3.5 (multiplier: 1.0)

Social impact: 4

Leadership: 4

Total: 24

Muda Lawal “ate, slept and dreamt football”, a fact that was obvious in the sheer breadth of roles and positions he occupied over the course of a distinguished career. When Tihomir Jelisavcic handed him his first call-up to the national team in 1975, the Serb deployed him as the deepest midfielder; when Nigeria beat Algeria to win the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, Muda played centre-forward. That he first practised to play the role the day before was a marker of his intelligence, and the enormity of the occasion did not faze him unduly, as his display on the day demonstrated.

However, versatility in itself tells little, so to define him by that alone would be a disservice. ‘Haji Shiru’ was a consummate, complete footballer, not just a generalist but one who pulled off all actions with a high degree of efficacy. A midfielder of supreme ability, he was both an adept distributor and an expert ball winner, his tenacity and agility meaning that, more often than not, he came away with possession without needing to resort to underhanded means. 

Perhaps his greatest skill, however, came in dictating the tempo of the play: he knew when and how to speed it up or slow it down; he could welcome the ball with mastery and combine quickly, both centrally and in the wider area, where he would often drift to create overloads. His sense of timing meant he also had a knack for arriving late in the box to score goals, materialising unmarked to feast upon rebounds and cut-backs.

“There have been many playmakers in Nigerian football, but there has only ever been one true playmaker: Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal,” veteran sports broadcaster Fabio Lanipekun said. “In the totality of a football match Muda would make the difference between victory and defeat. He was that influential.”

If that sounds hyperbolic, consider the transformative impact he had both at club and international levels. When Muda joined Shooting Stars, one domestic cup made up the entirety of the trophy cabinet for the Ibadan-based club. By the time he left in 1984, following the disbandment of the club, ‘Sootin’ had won three league titles, two more domestic cups, and had, in 1976, become the first Nigerian club to win a continental trophy when they claimed the Cup Winners’ Cup. In the final, they trounced a Tonnerre Yaounde side with a Roger Milla in attack, and then a year later they put together yet another deep run in the competition, reaching the last four.

For the national team, Muda’s arrival also heralded an era of increased prominence. It would be overstating it to put it all down to him but, leaving aside the 1982 edition, Nigeria finished in a medal position in every AFCON he played in, including his very first one in 1976 – only the country’s second ever appearance. In total, the midfielder played in five Cups of Nations, a record at the time, and is the only Nigerian to score in two AFCON Finals. He also held the record for international caps for close to 30 years, with 86.

It is possible that, had Muda been a little less self-effacing, he might be viewed with even greater reverence. By all accounts, he was an affable, generous human, keen to guide others and good for a laugh. “I looked up to the late Muda Lawal,” former international Waidi Akanni said. “Though we were actually playing the same position, he mentored me. Ever since we crossed paths, I’ve followed the do’s and don’ts he gave me.” 

In many ways, it is a shame that he lacked the ego to insist on his own legend, and that he passed away at the terribly young age of 37. That said, there is no reckoning by which he is not one of the greatest footballers Nigeria has ever seen. From a humble welder to a true box-to-box dynamo and a general of midfield play—some journey.

5. Mikel John Obi

Active years: 2004-2021

Honours: Premier League x2, English FA Cup x3, Turkish Cup x1, EFL Cup x1, UEFA Champions League x1, UEFA Europa League x1, Africa Cup of Nations x1

Ability: 8

Club career: 4

International career: 4.5 (multiplier 1.0)

Social impact: 3.5

Leadership: 4

Total: 24

John Mikel Obi may be the entry on the list who retired most recently, but it would be impossible to make any allegations of recency bias stick. On every objective score possible, his claim here cannot be disputed

However, it is necessary to address the one caveat that exists in the minds of many when it comes to this player, as it is one that so deeply colours the perception of him. Mikel was one of the many victims of the ‘new Okocha’ curse: by virtue of his showing at the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2005, he was anointed crown heir and all of the expectation that came with that rested on him. However, in much the same way that people misunderstand what sort of player Jay-Jay Okocha was, they misunderstood the role Mikel actually played at youth level.

Chi-dera and the Legend of the Ten Role

This misread led many – including, amusingly enough, Samson Siasia, who coached him at that U-20 World Cup – to lament the retooling of him as a holding midfielder upon his arrival at Chelsea as a complete 180 in terms of position. 

In truth, even in that tournament in the Netherlands, Mikel played as part of the team’s double pivot alongside Sani Kaita, with Promise Isaac, as the deeper-lying forward, acting as the team’s de jure no.10. From there, Mikel was however allowed to roam, intuitively occupying space as he saw fit and wielding the freedom to dictate the tempo of the team’s play.

Mikel’s evolution at Chelsea consisted mostly of grounding him positionally, a necessity in any midfield configuration that was not the broken, cavernously open 4-2-4 that Siasia favoured, while allowing his greatest skills – timing and tempo – to shine. In essence, to make him relevant to European football, Jose Mourinho fused the 2005 functions of Mikel and Kaita into one player, and put the responsibility for verticality on the likes of Michael Essien and Frank Lampard.

Did it work? Did it heck! Exhibit A: the trophy haul. Exhibit B: a man of the match display in the Final of the 2012 UEFA Champions League. Exhibit C: a decade-long career in the biggest league in the world.

If that seems like a lot of words dedicated to clearing up that misunderstanding, it is because it has led to an erroneous standard being applied in the appraisal of the player. Mikel was and is invariably judged, not on the standard of his actual performances, but against an expectation unfulfilled. Set aside the hankering for Jay-Jay reincarnated, and it becomes so much easier to appreciate what Mikel was: a midfield controller with a mix of core strength, balance, composure under pressure, timing and grace. As former international Daniel Amokachi put it, “He's unique; his own style of footballer.” 

Just as remarkable was his maturity, even from a young age. This was, after all, a player who scored and assisted inside seven minutes on his AFCON debut at the tender age of 18, turning a tense stalemate against Zimbabwe into a comfortable win. He would go on to amass 90 more appearances, including two World Cups, and star en route to Nigeria’s third AFCON triumph in 2013.

If there is one regret, it is that he was never quite at his best at a World Cup for the Super Eagles. Nigeria failed to qualify in 2006; in 2010, he was absent through injury; in 2014, he was off his best and was handily outperformed by midfield partner Ogenyi Onazi; in 2018, he was on his last legs as a professional footballer. As such, he lacks that one iconic moment in Nigeria colours. His career was instead one defined by steady, consistent brilliance.

As captain, he was an inspirational presence, not a chest-thumper but a considered, professional leader who earned respect for his profile and sacrifices. Twice, he took to the field for Nigeria in the knowledge that his father had been kidnapped, and he effectively sacrificed his club career to take part in the 2016 Olympics.

Oh, and when paired with a proper defensive midfielder who sat deep, as in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Mikel showed that, far from being ruined, his capacity to dominate the midfield zone was intact still: witness, as an instance, his brilliant display against reigning world champions Spain in Fortaleza.