Footballers, especially 1994-98 set, appear to be Nigeria's biggest ambassadors to the world. Well, maybe apart from 419.

From personal and friends' experience, when you introduce yourself as a Nigerian to most foreigners, the first thing they ask you about are Okocha, Kanu etc.

My Irish-Algerian seat mate couldn't stop talking about Rashidi Yekini and Amokachi on learning I'm a Nigerian, on the 3 hour Istanbul-Madinah flight in 2016.

An Egyptian friend in Saudi Arabia couldn't stop talking about Okocha's football wizardry. I have also met several Egy;tian friends in Dubai and once they know me as a Nigerian, they start asking about Okocha, Rashidi etc, Many other past experiences.

A generation of footballers Nigerian hardly even remember again.

When I posted the above on my Facebook wall, some of my friends shared similar experiences as reproduced below:

Same happened to me yesterday when there was an urgent need to take Uber..The Uber driver is a Turkish who just move to Toronto 5 months ago and can barely speak English, He struggle to ask me where I am from and on hearing I’m from Nigeria He responded by saying wow
Okocha!!!!
Amokachi!!!
I responded with a smile saying
Hassan Sas
Hakan sukur

If you go to Egypt, they will almost force you into claiming Kanu and Jay Jay as your relative.

In Paris, they still hang posters of JJ in the homes of some PSGs fan

I once met an American and Egyptian whose favorite is rashidi yekini. I just stare at their mouths when they talk about how skillful he is and how much they love him.

An Imam shared his experience with us during khutubah last year. He met some Egyptian pilgrims in 2006 or 7 Hajj.Imam said these north African brothers took him to their hotel when they got to know he was from Nigeria.
They asked after Okocha and Rashid Yekini. Then,they asked Imam to make dua for them.He got about 500 Riyals after the prayer.
Nigeria cannot produce those generation of soccer ambassadors again.

My friend's Egyptian friend here was practically jumping up and down in excitement for meeting Okocha's countryman!

An uncle of mine travelled to Bangkok one time and at port entry he slumped, taken to d hospital wen he regained consciousness he was asked of his nationality in d hospital but as a black man with tribal marks with Ivorian int'l passport they don't know ivory coast they keep saying Nigeria! Africa! rashidi yekini !several times

A Dutch guy in 2012/13 kept going on about Tijani Babangida and Oliseh to me. He later started talking about Amokachie and Ikpeba.

Have you experienced similar thing? Share your experience of foreigners taking highly of Nigerian footballers of 1994-1998 set.

A prophet z never honoured in his country.....
Glad foreigners acknowledges them for their skills.

I remember players like Pius ikedia,Sunday oliseh,Wilson orumah,Garba lawal, Emmanuel amunike,taribo west,Victor ikpeba,Samson siasia,rashidi yekini.

Meanwhile rashidi yekini died a miserable death with grasses,and rodents having convocation in his grave bed.His aged mother z roaming about with no shelter.

No edifices of our past footballers erected..but once they die..you would see government outdoing themselves to sponsor dia funerals and after then ditched their families.

I hate to say....we not dey ever value wetin we get.

Legends of africa

Thing is our current Eagles are not at their best. How could those who aren't relevantin major European leagues and therefore ply their trades in china be making our dear national team? Only those doing awesomely well should make d team. Mikel, ighalo shouldn't have made d team. Any player that leaves Europe for China isn't fit for our national team.

Gone are the days before. eboooharam bombed one eagle’s wing

Gone are those days when Nigerian team is still a powerhouse in world football we are once 5th in FIFA ranking but today's players are nothing to write home about imagine AKPEYI in Super Eagles first choice very very absurd
Okocha
KANU
Mikel
Amokachi
Siasia
These are our global ambassadors for now, my opinion though

Okocha
Kanu
Rashidi
Rufai
Amokachi
Ikpeba
Oliseh
West
Finidi
Amunike
Uche Okechukwu

Chai.... see as Dem ballers old for the pix

While in the uk. My pakistani neighbors and friends used to watch afcon with passion. I was shocked they knew Okocha and the likes. Pakistanis that love cricket o

Humble respects to our legends who portrays good of images of naija outside

Hmmmm

You are totally spot on Jarus. Ghanaians here won't let me be talking about Rasheed Yekini every damn time even though they always pronounce the name as Yakini.

here in abu dhabi ,my Egyptian friend calls me ''RASHIDI YAKINI''

lol

TheBeat:
Okocha
Kanu
Rashidi
Rufai
Amokachi
Ikpeba
Oliseh
West
Finidi
Amunike
Uche Okechukwu

Oh God ,this team, kaii I still remember

Rashidi Yekini was particularly a genius. If he was playing in Europe today, he might be nominated for the fifa footballer of the year. Okocha, amokachie, oliseh and the rest - all fantastic players. During their time Nigeria, our dear native land, was a football super power.

Yekini!!!! That his celebration in usa 94 made him famous.

Lamasta:
Gone are those days when Nigerian team is still a powerhouse in world football we are once 9th in FIFA ranking but today's players are nothing to write home about imagine AKPEYI in Super Eagles first choice very very absurd
Okocha
KANU
Mikel
Amokachi
Siasia
These are our global ambassadors for now, my opinion though

5th. After US 94 we were fifth in world ranking. I can't forget our first match with Bulgaria. We trash them 3-0. The reached the semi final while we left at Knock out stage. That's to tell you the quality of players we had. Our match with Italy could have gone to anybody, save for that penalty given to Italy we may have beaten them in that match.

where is my bet naija padi na

Believe it or not, we are the giant of Africa

Yessoo.

Okocha!

Kanu!

Enyeama!

And the greatest of them all, Baba Yekini! These guys need to be celebrated, for instance Yekini day should be celebrated on his birthday.

When they start telling you all the clubs they played for, you'd be proud of how well these guys represented us. I wish our sports ministry can have a football academy and groom the next generation of footballers. Also, Okocha, Kanu and Chioma Ajunwa need to be drafted into the National Sports Commission as Technical Directors. These talents must not waste.

Tina26:
you are a big fool. Sell your phone

Why the pejoratives?

Tamasaba:
Thing is our current Eagles are not at their best. How could those who aren't relevantin major European leagues and therefore ply their trades in china be making our dear national team? Only those doing awesomely well should make d team. Mikel, ighalo shouldn't have made d team. Any player that leaves Europe for China isn't fit for our national team.

This set of Eagles has more players in high profile clubs than that particular set. Ighalo with .ost goals scored shouldn't have made it because in China they don't play the same football abi?

Then who should have been selected ahead of him? Patiently waiting to here your answer.

jcmaiah:

5th. After US 94 we were fifth in world ranking. I can't forget our first match with Bulgaria. We trash them 3-0. The reached the semi final while we left at Knock out stage. That's to tell you the quality of players we had. Our match with Italy could have gone to anybody, save for that penalty given to Italy we may have beaten them in that match.

That penalty by baggio wey kiss bar enter

To me, that is still Nigeria's best set of footballers. It will take awhile to produce another set like them.

Ok. It is our singular greatest export globally. In Abidjan, was shopping in Adjame market in 2011, they refused to let me leave after buying goods before they went through their favourite ballers....

2006 in Salvador, Brasil for carnival, at one olodum jam, one guy held my shoulder and almost cried while relating our 90's Olympic win.

Wait, once upriver in Gambia, I was buying fish, these diligent, young girls were hammering mandinka well, well before one shouted... Chineke. I asked her how she knew that word...she said nollywood..

Entertainment rules!

SmartyPants:


This set of Eagles has more players in high profile clubs than that particular set. Ighalo with .ost goals scored shouldn't have made it because in China they don't play the same football abi?

Then who should have been selected ahead of him? Patiently waiting to here your answer.

He tried oo, am not saying he didn't, but yekini was banging 13 goals in cup of nation's with fewer teams played(he was in Vitoria setubal at the time, a higher profile team than any chinese club)

Wow

We now have "soapy" Eagles. Smh**