My analysis:
The word 'world class' as it is used by informed football analysts is very hard to define but I will attempt to categorise the usage into three:

CLASS 1 WORLD CLASS: Incontrovertibly,unarguably accepted by every informed analyst
CLASS 2 WORLD CLASS: Almost glaring that they are world class but we will find few respected analysts that will disagree, with reasonable argument
CLASS 3 WORLD CLASS Coaches and other analysts often call some players world class,although recklessly at times. Players respected coaches and/or analysts call world class but which many people will disagree fall under this category.

I think Kanu and Okocha will make CLASS 2 WORLD CLASS category. Weah, Eto'o, Drogba and Essien are the only African players that can make the FIRST CATEGORY(INCONTRVERTIBLY ACCEPTED WORLD CLASS PLAYERS). Kanoute, M. Diarra, Kolo Toure, and few other African players will also make the SECOND CATEGORY.
I think Mikel,Martins and Yak will also the THIRD CATEGORY.

So Nigeria has no world class player in the real,professional, incontrovertible sense of the word but KANU and JJ are very close that exclusive list while Mikel,Martins and Yak can also be regarded as world class literally speaking.

Opinions,approving or disproving, are welcome!!!

Kanu and Okocha are world class players. . . . .

Angel Mikel is one

if there is any Nigerian-born world class player . . . IT HAS TO BE KANU !

Okocha lost the plot playing to the gallery in 'em days when he ought to have been more serious to captivate the world

@Akolawole

Mikel is a Chelsea-class player not at all national class sef

@ife eco 06

which Obafemi Martins ? the same one we all know

abeg ake we no dey decieve ourselves . . .OUR PLAYERS DONT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE WORLD CLASS PLAYERS ! MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISIPLINE !

IMO,
Nigeria has never produced a world class footballer. that would stand shoulder to shoulder with Dinho, Weah, Etoo, Ronaldo, Drogba.

Do you know that No Nigerian striker has ever been highest goal scorer in any top league in the world. (Portugal is not a top league)

No Nigerian has ever been on the podium of ballon D'or of world footballer top 3.

The term is loosely used but I refuse to join the bandwagon.

The closest Nigerians are Kanu and Finidi not even Okocha.

Almighty Kanu is the biggest from 9ja ever and hes on category 2.

There are very few people on category 1
Pele, maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo de lima and Ronaldinho
Not sure of people like Franz beckenbaeur, Platini, Roberto bagio and weah

go and watch Kanu,Finidi and Okocha on youtube then you will know that they are world class.

It is very hard to disagree that JJ and Kanu are not world class players, but the problem is can we put them in the same class with Ronaldinho, Zidane, Pele,Batistuta,Ronaldo,Romario? I don't think Okocha and Kanu can be in the same bracket with these players. So definitely, there has to be a lower class of world-classness, and that is where JJ and Kanu belong. So, I believe, they are world class, but in the strictest sense of the word I will hesitate before I call them world class players. Nobody will hesitate calling Eto'o world class, for example. He was once the highest goal scorer in La Liga,and second in the prior season.At Eto'o's peak few years ago there were global arguments on who the world's best striker was between him, Henry(then at Arsenal) and Shevchenko(at Ac then).He capped all those with the feat of being named world's third best that year. So Eto'o is a world class without any hesitation. That is the strictest sense of world-classness. 98% of football follwoers will also put Drogba in that exclusive class and virtually that percentage will also say the same thing about Essien. Ironically, JJ appears to be a better player than Essien but maybe because Essien plays more purposeful football than JJ.

@Dayo

Why excluding Portugal?

Rikky was once second highest goalscorer in Europe.

For about 2 years Finidi was the best right winger in the world. I mean in the whole world!

Is Rooney a world class [ i hope jackal no go see this ]

@Akola

Finidi was the best winger in the world for 2yrs dwarfing Figo in the process . .yes ! but then how did he prosecute and end his career clubwise and internationally ?

what accolades was he fortunate to win 7th place in the FIFA player of the awards abi ? does that exactly make him World class ?

@Akola

Best right winger? I had no idea there were awards for that? So who is holding the award currently?

Kanu and Okocha should be up there but like the poster said not in the same class with Pele, Beckenbauer, Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldo (three of them) et al.

Dr Kitaun:

@Akola

Finidi was the best winger in the world for 2yrs dwarfing Figo in the process . .yes ! but then how did he prosecute and end his career clubwise and internationally ?

what accolades was he fortunate to win 7th place in the FIFA player of the awards abi ? does that exactly make him World class ?

Oloye, what is your definition of world class? Before i would bring Henry Nwosu, Big Sheg, Roger Milla into the argument.

@ Akola,

Without a shadow of doubt, Wayne Rooney is a world class player!!!
Mention any team in the world Wazza would not play in. . . .
He is by far the best English player in his generation.

Hannibal:

@ Akola,

Without a shadow of doubt, Wayne Rooney is a world class player!!!
Mention any team in the world Wazza would not play in. . . .
He is by far the best English player in his generation.

Am i suprised?

Dayokanu, come and handle this man o

@ Topic

Ehat would you call the like of

Finidi George
Victor Ipkeba
Sunday Oliseh

That guy that said wayne rooney is the best in his generation is on cheap weed.
@ topic, finidi, taribo, oliseh, kanu, ikpeba are world class players. Unfortunately jj get bad luck with clubs that's why i excluded his name

If you say rooney is the best in his generation, where would you put Gerrard, Hargreaves and Terry. Even Crouch has a better scoring record than Rooney.

if Rooney isnt world class, then what is he?
he might not be world class like the Thiery henry's, Zidane and co, but hes sure darn a world class player.

Crouch has a better scoring record than Rooney?
where? enlighten me pls

rooney scored a total of 19 goals last season and he played over 40 matches. but we could count how many matches crouch played, and also count how many he started. n you r asking questionin his scoring record. to tell u the truth he scored more than D K Last Season. D K Almost all their matches

@AKOLA

need I tell u who a world class player is

players like Haruna Ilerika, Christian Chukwu et al

This is why I said the term world class is most times loosely used. Many posters have already arguing the world-classness of some players here. I foresaw this divergent opinions, as it is common the world over, and that is why I came up with three categories of world class to accommodate players who are world class, when loosely defined, but will not be agreed as world class by many people.Any player for which two or more informed posters disagree he's a world class player can definitely not be in Class 1 WC.this is why no poster has so far(and no informed analyst should) disagreed that players like Ronaldo,Dinho,Bebeto,Zidane,Eto'o,Henry,weah etc are world class. Opinions ahve so far been divided on the world-classness of the likes of JJ,Kanu,Rooney,etc. In other words, they are ARGUABLY world class. Class 1 WC(the strictest definition) players are not subject to debate. That is why I'll put Kanu, JJ and Rooney as Class 2 world class players.

Nigerians haba! I have seen people mention Ilerika,Chukwu,Odegbami etc as world class players. Please don't let us deceive ourselves like one of my Angolan forum-mate on BIGSOCCER that puts one unknown Akanga in Africa 11(just to have his coutry man in Africa 11). Odegbami and Ilerika,I learnt and read,were decent players, but please don't let us extend the definition of WC that far. Please, the loosest definition(Class 3) cannot even accommodate that.

On Finidi,I'm beginning to consider putting him in Class 2 WCP too. I think it's true he was regarded(whether officially I don't know) as the best winger in the world(or was it Europe?) in the mid-1990's. Yes I can remember that time. I'm just hearing he was once ranked world's 7th best by FIFA. Making 7th position in FIFA world ranking, Nairalanders, is no mean feat. If that's true I think he deserves World class tag, but definitely not the strictest definition (class 1).

Oliseh? What will I say? He was a very good player. World Class? Hmmmmmmmm   Oh I remember I put Yak in class 3. Please I retract that. Oliseh deserves the WC tag than Yak. But I'll rather put both players in DECENT PLAYERS list. I remove Yak please. But I'm not replacing him with Oliseh. I don't want to go too loose.

N.B. World class players are essentially fantastic but some players that are not regarded as WC are more fantastic than WC players. There is an element of informed sentiment, passion, in addition to global acceptability(even if it's blind) in this WC tag. So don't tell me one excellent player in Malta is WC when nobody knows him


Although WC is very hard to define but I have hazard some criteria for determining WC player:


Such a player:
-Will make the First 14 (the usual starting 11 + the surest-to-come-on 3 on the bench) in any club in the world
-Will make the first 14 of any national team in the world
-Must be known and respected globally
-Must have proved himself in any big league in the world, not local champion in Belgium,Norway etc)
-Must have won or at least been nominated(not necessarily making the top 3) for any global award

There are other criterias though.

Mikel is a Chelsea-class player not at all national class sef- Dr Kitaun

A Chelsea-class player has higher class than a Nigeria(National)-class player. 75% of Chelsea's players are World class. Nobody will play in Chelsea and will not make Nigeria's national team, even First 11. So if Mikel is Chelsea-class, then he's more than national-class.

As for his world-classness, take it or leave it, Mikel is world class(Class 3, as the starter of this thread put it).Mikel is respected globally. I stumbled on a thread on American soccer forum BIGSOCCER titled WORLD U-21 11 recently, and almost all the contributors from every part of the world put Mikel in their team. I was wondering, is this not our Mikel? Is he that good? This is one characteristic of world class players-global recognition!!! There are better players than him who will not be regarded as World class. This world class thing is not 100% about being good. Beckham is more World class than the level of his game.

Finidi was the best winger in the world for 2yrs dwarfing Figo in the process . .yes ! but then how did he prosecute and end his career clubwise and internationally ?

The way a player ended his career does not matter. What is important is how he fared when he was active, especially when the ovation was loudest. Finidi at Ajax made Nigeria proud, shining like million stars in Champion league and Dutch league, and that was the golden era of Ajax. Being an Ajax player then is like being a Madrid or AC player today i.e not meant for average players. He made his marks at Ajax so much so that the club's wing position almost became exclusive to Nigerian players as they his two successors at the club were Nigerians(Tijani Babangida and Ikedia). That is Finidi's legacy. He did not fare bad at Betis too. He is perhaps only second to Kanu in terms of club achievement. And unlike many other Nigerians who were not able to replicate their club performance at the national level, Finidi's performance in Green and White was even better. Nigerian players are known for either being excellent in national colours and fumbling at club level or vice versa, Finidi was one of the few Nigerian players that made their marks at both fronts.

Who then is asking how he 'prosecute and end his career clubwise and internationally'?

Mikel world class



wetin my eyes no go read for NLAND ?

how can u name a player world class that hasnt been able to fit into his predecessor's shoes ? Mikel hasnt even gotten any closer to the Mikel that we saw few years ago . . .and the jury is still out on him as per his NATIONAL TEAM COMMITMENTS ! how can u call a disloyal player a wrold class player ? u dont want to play for ur fatherland then u are a CLUB-CLASS PLAYER CHELSEA-CLASS PLAYER

and are u telling me that all Chelsea players wil stroll into the super eagles ? are u kidding me ?

Malouda ? KALOU abi na Malu?

is it ur SWP that will displace Utaka or Osaze ?

or who in that team will u take before Uche Ikechukwu save for Drogba ?

seriously . . .

Finidi was once of the best wingers in the world but let me tell u world class players never fade into oblivion . . .why do u think George Weah is still reckoned with today ? Abedi Pele ? these are players that if not heard about for some time the whole world would start an inquisition about them ! who knows where Finidi is today ?

didnt Etim Esin have what it takes/took to be one of the best globally ? what became of him ? tactical indiscipline and behavioural deficiencies became his bane . . . and that my dear friend ofurufu is why u might have ADEBAYOR, ESSIEN, DROGBA of lesser countries being named world class players but Nigerian players relegated to the background

Kanu and finidi are the closest we ve got to being called world class

bollingjoe:

Kanu and finidi are the closest we ve got to being called world class

Taribo west was a world class defender
Oliseh was a world class mid-fielder
Victor Ikpeba renowed "Prince of Monaco".

Dr Kitaun:

Mikel world class



wetin my eyes no go read for NLAND ?

how can u name a player world class that hasnt been able to fit into his predecessor's shoes ? Mikel hasnt even gotten any closer to the Mikel that we saw few years ago . . .and the jury is still out on him as per his NATIONAL TEAM COMMITMENTS ! how can u call a disloyal player a wrold class player ? u don't want to play for your fatherland then u are a CLUB-CLASS PLAYER CHELSEA-CLASS PLAYER

and are u telling me that all Chelsea players wil stroll into the super eagles ? are u kidding me ?

Malouda ? KALOU abi na Malu?

is it your SWP that will displace Utaka or Osaze ?

or who in that team will u take before Uche Ikechukwu save for Drogba ?

Oya let's do a comparison.

Cech [/b]V Enyeama
[b]Ballack V Mikel
Lampard [/b]V Uche snr
[b]Mikel(for Chelsea now) Vs Ayila/Olofinjana
Drogba V Martins
Anelka V Yakubu
Terry V Yobo
Kalou V IK Uche [50-50]
SWP V Utaka
Ferrari V Shittu
Malouda V Osaze
Shevchenko V Kanu
Belleti V Ordiah

I'll go for the ones I boldened.

ife-eco-06:

Oya let's do a comparison.

Cech [/b]V Enyeama
[b]Ballack V Mikel
Lampard [/b]V Uche snr
[b]Mikel(for Chelsea now) Vs Ayila/Olofinjana
Drogba V Martins
Kanoute V Yakubu
Terry V Yobo
Kalou V IK Uche [50-50]
SWP V Utaka
Riccie V Shittu
Malouda V Osaze
Shevchenko V Kanu
Belleti V Ordiah

I'll go for the ones I boldened.

this is why I choose the people I argue footie with here . . .

is Kanoute a Chelsea player ?

who is Riccie ?

and u even go ahead to compare Mikel twice in opposing teams . . .na novelty match comparisons u dey make ?

Kalou vs IK Uche = 50-50 . . .are u on cheap weed ?

Dr Kitaun:

this is why I choose the people I argue footie with here . . .

is Kanoute a Chelsea player ?

who is Riccie ?

and u even go ahead to compare Mikel twice in opposing teams . . .na novelty match comparisons u dey make ?

Kalou vs IK Uche = 50-50 . . .are u on cheap weed ?

I meant Anelka, not Kanoute. Just a sub-conscious mix-up. Kanoute definitely plays for Sevilla.
Yes, I compared Mikel twice. First as a Chelsea player(Holding Midfielder) and second as a Super Eagles player(Central midfielder).

Uche V Kalou? I stand by my word. To me they are in the same bracket. Was it not kalou that ran ring round all our defenders in Ghana? He is as good as Uche.

kevinpur
did u say Rooney played about 40 games?
BUY HDTV next time you watch the EPL

ur TV im sure developed fault while seeing the games abi
he was injured about 3 times last season abi wetin u dey talk?

@ Akola,

Without a shadow of doubt, Wayne Rooney is a world class player!!!
Mention any team in the world Wazza would not play in. . . .
He is by far the best English player in his generation.

Rooney World class?? What an abuse of the phrase.

The fact that he is the best English player makes him world class when everyone knows England is a sankwa team on the same level with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. That means the best player in Cyprus should be world class?

I dont even agree he is the best English player cos in My rating Terry and Gerrard are better than him. But cos you put in his generation which include (David Bentley, Chris Eagles and Mc Eveley) He might be the best.

Rooney can not play in the national team of Spain and Germany to start with cos David Villa, Fernando Torres, Lukas Podolski and Miro Klose have better records than him.

@TKB, Check Rooney and Crouch scoring records for the National team and compare.

It will be preposterious for any one to say that no Nigeria players fall under the catigory of World Class. Okocha, Kanu, Finidi to mention a few are world class players. The problem i think Nigeria players have is the greed for money. If Okocha had played in a big club like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, R/Madrid, Milan, Inter or Juv he would have won world best and the Africa best that eluded him three times. I want to say that the success of any player no matter how good he is, is a function of the qualities of players around him. This accounts for why Okocha in spite of his depth in football artistry could not win any medal at Club level. I want to say that Chelsea progidy, Mikel, Obagol and Uche, Yak, Yobo, Osase can grouped into the second catigory.

What Delusion!!!!

It will be preposterious for any one to say that no Nigeria players fall under the catigory of World Class. Okocha, Kanu, Finidi to mention a few are world class players.

Which of these can compare to george Weah, Zidane, Ronaldo , Ronaldinho, Etoo and Drogba. That is what I call world class not every Opabuni, Akwuegbu and Garba Lawal.

The problem i think Nigeria players have is the greed for money. If Okocha had played in a big club like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, R/Madrid, Milan, Inter or Juv he would have won world best and the Africa best that eluded him three times. I want to say that the success of any player no matter how good he is, is a function of the qualities of players around him. This accounts for why Okocha in spite of his depth in football artistry could not win any medal at Club level. I want to say that Chelsea progidy, Mikel, Obagol and Uche, Yak, Yobo, Osase can grouped into the second catigory.

Whar error are you telling me that PSG, Bolton, and Besiktas pay more than Man Utd, AC, Real or barca?

Have any of these big teams ever tabled a bid for Okocha?