Who is Nigeria’s greatest footballer? (Part 2)

 
By Ikenwa Nnabuogor

In the concluding part of this article, IKENWA NNABUOGOR attempts to answer the big poser – who is Nigeria’s GOAT, the greatest player ever…

Though Keshi, Yekini and to some extent, Nwosu oscillated between the old and golden generations, the impact of Daniel Amokachi, Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Sunday Oliseh, Okechukwu Uche, Vincent Enyeama and most recently, Ahmed Musa, currently captaining the Super Eagles, can stretch this debate to a breaking point as to who should be hailed as the greatest Nigerian football player.

Injuries agonisingly slowed down Amokachi, nicknamed “Da Bull” by the local press, the former Club Brugge of Belgium robust striker was good enough to be the greatest-ever, arguably still.

Legends – Kanu, Okocha

His Eagles showing was as colourful as his club’s until the ugly knee injury cut short his career, but he would get his job done in his short career, still.

Back at Club Brugge, he became the first-ever player to score in the newly-introduced UEFA Champions League, when he netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow in 1992 to add to his record of becoming one of the youngest player ever to play in the AFCON two years earlier at Algiers’90.

His fun times at Everton are fondly archived at Merseyside, while his milestone goal of 2000th goal in the Turkish League in the colours of Besiktas remains marbled in stone.

His wore the Eagles shirt only 44 times, which also fetched him a Top-10 finish in the all-time leading scorers’ chart with 13 goals.

Coach Clemens Westerhof, just like he unleashed teenaged Amokachi on Eagles’ opponents, bloodied yet another youngster Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha to his team in 1993 to begin a process that would produce one of the greatest football players of all-time both in Nigeria and in the world.

Little wonder, “Jay Jay” was named in Pele’s 125 living best footballers of all time, the only Nigerian to be so recognized by the legendary football icon, who is regarded as the best player of all-time.

The former Fenerbache midfielder was never going to be ignored by any coach for club and country as his skill and wizardry could burst the box office charts if adapted into a biopic.

“Jay Jay” will never be forgotten for the beautiful things he did for both club and country as his amazing career was signed off in 2008.

Touted as the most skilful African football player ever, “Jay Jay” was outrageously comfortable with the ball and treated the round leather as if he got the remote buttons exclusively to whatever he liked with the ball.

Bolton Wanderers were not the biggest English club when he arrived in 2002 to put the Lancashire side in the English football map by helping them reach the FA Cup final in 2004 before they bowed to Manchester United.

Okocha’s sins among the football watchers were not taking his game higher to play for top clubs, which they believed would easily have earned him the undisputed greatest player status not only in Nigeria, but in Africa as a whole.

Oliseh midfield star from the past

Okocha was also a leader of men, just like Muda Lawal, Nwosu and Keshi and conducted the orchestra in the middle of the park for his country better than the famous Italian Luciano Pavarotti and inspired his club and country to many victories.

However, he would be roundly criticised for unnecessary showboating leading to killing goal-bound attacks and making his team look like performing a circus show when serious business on the pitch that would result to victories would have sufficed.

Fans argued that with application of some ball sense into his game, “Jay Jay” would easily be regarded as the greatest ever in the national team.

Nwankwo Kanu appeared to possess more ball sense than others, which stood him out as perhaps the greatest for his country judging by his breath-taking performances for club and country.

Languid and frail-looking, Kanu was so deceptive in appearance, as his all-round delightful skills sold him to the world despite his heart problem that limited his chances at Inter Milan.

His records for club and country would most undisputedly crown him the country’s greatest ever if only these were to be considered.

His honours’ cabinet is full of international and personal titles, chief among whom, is the two-time African Player of the Year awards as well as Champions League and UEFA Cup titles, smiling back at him in his cabinet.

Apart from these honours, Kanu’s grace on the pitch for club and country was divine and direct from God as his amazing all-round skill, ball sense, goals and general team play stood him out as arguably the greatest player to come of Nigeria and perhaps, Africa.

However, his 86 caps for Eagles and 12 goals have a few minuses – he was never crowned AFCON champion and never scored at the AFCON.

Westerhof was forced to heed to the Nigerian media cry for little known Belgium-based midfielder Sunday Oliseh to solve Eagles midfield holding and grafting problems and along came the then RC Liege upstart, and the rest, is history.

Oliseh not only went on to cement his place in the Super Eagles, but captained the team with so much vision and exemplary leadership that stood the test of time though with a bit of personality clash that marred his Eagles stay even as a coach much later.

Enyeama – Top class for club and country

Oliseh would soon become the Eagles mainstay in the midfield since his 1993 debut in a ruthless 6-0 drubbing of Ethiopia in Lagos and even in the post-Westerhof era, breaking up opponents’ rhythms with consummate ease and initiating attacks with his delightful long passes which Yekini fed on to add to his all-time high of 37 goals.

Oliseh will not be forgotten for the wonderful things he did for Eagles though he would quit in the regrettable acrimonious manner over issues bordering on players’ commitment to the national cause.

The highs of his 54 appearances for his country were the 1994 AFCON and 1995 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations titles.

Worthy mention must be given to the country’s first centurions – captains Joseph Yobo and Vincent Enyeama – though proclaiming each of them as the greatest will spark wild criticisms.

Both are AFCON title holders and leaders of men in their different periods, their Eagles performances as well as their clubs are truly worthy of being considered as contenders but certainly not the best.

Joseph Yobo won 2013 AFCON after sparkling displays at Everton

Enyeama, for now, brought a brand-new dimension to the goalkeeping role worth emulating not only in Nigeria, but Africa as a whole.

Twice named Best Foreign player in Israel and France where he defended the colours of Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Tell Aviv and Lille, to cap a glorious career that inspired a number of African goalkeepers.

Enyeama could easily be regarded as the greatest Nigerian goalkeeper of the all-time, though, some may disagree to pitch tent with the legendary Peter Rufai.

Yobo was ever-present for club and country and would become the first-ever African player to play every single of the 38 goals for Everton in the 2006/2007 season in the Premier League in England.

Yobo was also an astute and exemplary leader, leading the charge from the rear and reminding the strikers he could also get on the score sheet with seven goals in 101 appearances for his country.

So, who is the greatest Nigerian player of all-time?

The choice is yours, as it seems as the careful and mental analysis of all the available benchmarks to arrive at your final decision.

Factors to be considered include players’ all-round performances for club and country, titles – club, international and personal, and not forgetting attitude and professional conduct.

What about leading by example and inspiring the team especially the young guns?

The greatest player accolade must be hard to earn and not a mere stroll in the park to achieve.

Could this title finally go to Nwankwo Kanu judging by the yard sticks listed above?

The debate lingers on, but your choice is yours and so should it be.