DEJO FAYEMI (1959-1961) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 1959-1961 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 1959-1961 Appearances: 15 Goals:7 Assists:No records Honour: Nil Notable Achievement:Scorer Of Nigeria's First Ever Goal in a world cup Qualifier
DOMINIC IORFA(1989-1995) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 1989-1995 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 1959-1961 Appearances:21 Goals: Nil Assists : No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement: 2 caps for the U-23 in 1988 summer Olympics
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RASHEED YEKINI(1984-1998) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 1984-1998 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 1993-1999 Appearances:58 Goals:37 (2 PK) Assists: No records Honours:African POTY 1993,AFCON 1994 Notable Achievements:
Scored Nigeria's First Ever Goal in a world cup Nigeria's Record Goalscorer
JONATHAN AKPOBORIE(1995-2001) Featured for the super eagles of Nigeria from 1995-2001 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 1999-2000 Appearances:13 Goals:4 Assists: No records Honours:1992 AFCON bronze Medalist , 2000 AFCON Silver Medalist Notable individual Achievement: Nil
BARTHOLOMEW OGBECHE(2002-2004) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2002-2004 Wore The Jersey number 9 in 2002 Appearances:11 Goals:3 Assists :No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement: FIFA world Cup Debut Aged 17
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VICTOR AGALI(2000-2004) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2000-2004 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 2001-2004 Appearances:12 Goals:5 Assists: No records Honours: Nil Notable Achievement:Nil
MICHAEL ENERAMO(2009-2011) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2009-2011 Wore The Jersey number 9 in 2009 Appearances:11 Goals:3 Assists:No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement:Nil
JOSEPH AKPALA(2008-2013) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2008 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 2008-2013 Appearances:9 Goals:1 Assists:No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement: Scored his First Goal Against France
EMMANUEL EMENIKE(2011-2015) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2011-2015 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 2011-2015 Appearances:37 Goals:9 Assists:7
Honours:AFCON 2013 Winner, Notable Achievement:AFCON 2013 Top Scorer
OLAREWAJU KAYODE(2017) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in 2017 Wore The Jersey number in 2017 Appearances:4 Goals:Nil Assists : No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement:Nil
OBAFEMI MARTINS (2004-2015) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2004-2015 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 2004-2012 Appearances:42 Goals:19 Assists:No records Honours:Nil Notable Achievement: CAF most promising talent of the year 2003-2004,Captained Nigeria For the First Time in 2007
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ODION IGHALO (2015-2019) Featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria from 2015-2019 Wore The Jersey number 9 from 2015-2019 Appearances:35 Goals:16 Assists:3 Honours:AFCON Bronze Medal Notable Achievement: AFCON 2019 Top Scorer
VICTOR OSIMHEN(2018-PRESENT) Wearing the Jersey number 9 presently (as at publication of this article in 2020) Appearances:9 Goals:4 Assists:2 Honours:AFCON 2019 Bronze Medal Notable Achievement: Nil
Mikel actually fulfilled his potential in terms of the position he played. He never had the traits to be a successful number 10 - for one, he was too big and slow, and in that position it's best to be small and agile.
The problem Mikel had was he was very good at a style of play that was not yet seen as important while he was playing. These days a player like Mikel is what most coaches would love to build their team around.
Even for Nigeria he excelled best by being the organizer from deep areas.
Classic no 10 role wasn't about pace though. It was more about trickery and ability to spot chances. If you watched the likes of Kaka, Pato, Pirlo, etc., you will get. Mikel was that kind of no 10. You couldn't dispossess him, and he could create a chance from nothing with precise passes. He lost that at Chelsea.
Classic no 10 role wasn't about pace though. It was more about trickery and ability to spot chances. If you watched the likes of Kaka, Pato, Pirlo, etc., you will get. Mikel was that kind of no 10. You couldn't dispossess him, and he could create a chance from nothing with precise passes. He lost that at Chelsea.
Bruv to start with, your examples are all wrong.
Kaka's game was indeed about pace, which was why after he lost his pace when he moved to Madrid he was never the same player. Same with Pato and Pato was not a 10 in the midfield sense either. He was more of a second striker and his game depended on pace too.
Similarly, Pirlo was not a 10. He was a deep-lying playmaker similar to Mikel, Busquets, Alonso and Carrick. And that's an interesting one actually, because Pirlo actually started his career as a striker was deemed too slow in that position before being converted into a midfielder.
You can go on Youtube and watch videos of all these players to confirm.
Now, talking about Mikel and speed, notice that I didn't just say he was too slow. I said he was too big and too slow collectively, which actually just means he wasn't agile enough to play 10. There's no doubt about it. He was skilful but nowhere near the players you've mentioned. His strengths were always his passing, press resistance, and size.
People got carried away by his performances at the U-20 level forgetting that by the time you enter the men's game the physicality is a whole different level there. Mikel was never a great 10. He simply wasn't built for that.
People also forget that Mikel played 10 for Chelsea in his first season and he simply didn't show any signs of being a good fit for the role., That's when Mourinho converted him.
Would it be a funny question if I ask who the greatest Nigeria Super Eagles player to wear the number 10 jersey is? I believe nearly everyone would chorus Okocha. But what if you are wrong?
What if history and stats say otherwise?
Today, we'll explore the greatest Nigerian players to wear football's most iconic jersey number; 10
📌Jay Jay Okocha 📌Etim Esin 📌John Obi Mikel 📌Henry Nwosu
🦅Etim Esin: Nicknamed "African Maradona" because of his exceptional talent, Etim had one of the shortest period with the Super Eagles but cannot be ignored. He's seen by international media as one of the most gifted players Nigeria has ever had.
Etim made just 8 appearances for Nigeria, 6 of which were World Cup qualifiers. Etim's career was cut short because he was reportedly banned by FIFA on accusation of raping and impregnating a minor during his playing days in Belgium, something that was later proven false after the Belgian girl gave birth to a child with no trace of black blood. Despite being vindicated, the incidence, coupled with his other past discipline issues had already dented his football career badly.
Late Stephen Keshi has this to say about Etim Esin "We had Etim Esin and relied so much on him. The team was built around him because he had so much skill and had so much to offer. So we said this is our “Diego Maradona” in Nigeria because he can do anything with the ball. It was like he was born with the ball.”
Etim's International stats are: 📌Debut: 1987 📌Position: CM 📌Appearances: 8 📌Goals: 1 📌Assists: 0 📌Trophies: 0 📌Duration with Super Eagles: 1 year
🦅Jay Jay Okocha: If Etim Esin is known as one of the most gifted players from Nigeria, then Okocha is one of the most gifted the world of football has ever produced.
Okocha was never named after anyone like "African Pele" or "African Maradona". Okocha was simply Okocha, and that name was and still is a BIG NAME.
Okocha represented Nigeria at 4 AFCON and 3 World Cups, winning one AFCON and being included in a World Cup Best 11.
Okocha left Super Eagles as Nigeria's best dribbler, best freekick taker, best passer, and most entertaining player.
His international stats are; 📌Debut: 1994 📌Position: CM, AM 📌Appearances: 75 📌Goals: 15 📌Assists: 2 📌Trophies/Medals: 9 (1x AFCON Title, 1x AFCON Top Scorer, 2x BBC African Best, 1x Olympics Gold Medal, 1x AFCON Silver medal, 3x AFCON Bronze medal) 📌Duration with Super Eagles: 12 years (1994-2006)
🦅John Obi Mikel: Stepping into Okocha's big and heavy shoes almost immediately was young John Mikel.
Fresh from an outstanding U-20 world cup where he was second best to Leo Messi, Mikel caused a transfer tussle between Chelsea and Manchester United before arriving at Nigeria's senior team
His arrival was highly anticipated as he had already shown his calibre at the U-20 World cup.
Mike represented Nigeria at 5 AFCON, 3 World Cup, 1 Confederations Cup, 1 Olympics, 1 U-20 World Cup and 1 U-17 World Cup.
📌Debut: 2005 📌Position: DM, CM, AM 📌Appearances: 91 📌Goals: 6 📌Assists: 12 📌Trophies/Medals: 8 - (1x AFCON, 1x Olympics Bronze, 1x U-20 World Cup silver Ball, 1x U-20 World Cup Silver medal, 3x AFCON Bronze medal, 1x CAF Most Promising Talent) 📌Duration with Super Eagles: 14 years (2005-2019)
🦅Henry Nwosu Henry Nwosu is remembered as Nigeria's youngest player among the AFCON 1980 winning team. He represented Nigeria at 4 AFCON,
His international stats are; 📌Debut: 1980 📌Position: AM, RM 📌Appearances: 60 📌Goals: 8 📌Assists: 0 📌Trophies: (1x AFCON, 2x AFCON silver Medal) 📌Duration with Super Eagles: 11 years (1980-1991)
