₦airaland Forum

obinoral1179:
kanu won the UCL with AJax

I just checked it, you're right....

KANU in the most successful...

King Kanu

yusluvad:
Mikel is arguably the best...

Probably you are born yester-night!

Eriokanmi:
You probably were top young when Okocha and Kanu were reigning

He is saying Truth. Buh kanu n okocha are 100 x talented. I love KANU

Mikel tried but was never the deciding force in all the teams he featured respective of his laurels while Jay jay and papilo were amongst the kings in their respective teams all through their careers. Kanu and Okocha could single-handedly win matches for their respective teams even when the team isn't playing at its peak, their overall contributions for their teams were top notch. My ranking is Papilo then Okocha, Mikel should not even be on the list where Papilo and jay jay is been talked about.

udemzyudex:
Did you even understand the question or you just decide to be emotional?

Come on go and sit down... What does this one know about football.

Afriqan:
Even Mikel and Okocha both know it's Kanu Nwankwo.

Kanu was a very balanced and valuable player. It was either he scored in a match or assisted to get a very crucial goal. He did this in Ajax, Arsenal and even for the national team.

Till date, no player can match Papilo's record. He was just balanced!

You mean his record of zero Afcon goals

jcross19:
funny you people!! The most susscesful is what us talking about Valdez of Barcelona is more successful than neure of bayen but we all know the best among the two .. Click to the op even Mikel won silver as the second best to messi in under 20 in which no Nigeria player have gotten such... Respect the bro.

Imagine comparing Mikel to Kanu and feeling you know football. You don't seem to know half of what Kanu has done for Nigeria and his club side. Perhaps you know more than Fifa...

femi4:
You mean his record of zero Afcon goals

So Afcon is the only yars stick to measure a player's performance?

Alaye, lo joko.

Afriqan:
So Afcon is the only yars stick to measure a player's performance?

Alaye, lo joko.

National team performance is key.... Olodo

Mikel is better than them all ,even better than Messi the ekuke fraud that left Barca in ruins after promising them the UCL .Next victim is PSG








Mikel delivered for Chelsea the real Nigerian GOAT

yusluvad:
Mikel is arguably the best...

Mikel that's not even a game changer in Chelsea.....smh....He was lucky he played in arguably the best Chelsea squad in the last decade

Legendrysailor:
Hell no !!!!!

O.p, how can u regard okocha,kanu and Mikel as d greatest players in Nigeria when bubudinho is still alive in aso rock. O.p don't try it again oooh. Bubu has succeeded in playing with d economy of Nigeria and he has multiple goals to his name in terms destruction. Bubu is d greatest of all time (sarcasm)

Name of player- yimu bubudinho
Position- cow breast milk attacker
Club side - gworo football club
Agent - vulture mannabbgrills


Do not quote me if ur IQ is below 10

When next an interesting topic like this is being discussed, do not bring Buhari's issues into it. I will partially forgive you for making an article I was reading spellbound appear momentarily mundane with your silly comment.

Igwe29:
When next an interesting topic like this is being discussed, do not bring Buhari's issues into it. I will partially forgive you for making an article I was reading spellbound appear momentarily mundane with your silly comment.

Swine, ur IQ is obviously below 10

Afriqan:
There were several things that made him consider Bolton and I think the main thing was his family. He probably wanted somewhere they could live with less racism and good education for the kids and the UK is far better than other EU countries.

Regardless of his move, JJ didn't fully develop his natural talent. He didn't evolve beyond a dribbler and entertainer. He didn't learn how to finish and score goals, that was the major limitation he had.

In an interview, Ronaldinho said that he learnt some skills from Okocha but Dinho became world best cos he left PSG to Barca but our own Okocha moved from PSG to Bolton.

Ronaldinho is good but Barca helped him a lot. Okocha should have been better than Eto but Eto left Mallorca to Barca and we know the story today. Okocha is a talented player but Mikel remaining in Chelsea was the best decision, today he has more trophies, more money, more Fifa ranking than JJ, decision is important in everything we do.

Eriokanmi:
Papilo all the way. Career wise he's more successful, investment wise, he's got no match. His investments are mouth-watering yet, very humble. Wait oo. Where did the billions raised for Kanu heart foundation go? Papilo abeg answer us oo

He don use am setup Sporty Bet

ERockson:
Okocha is just a celebrity footballer without tangible football achievements. Kanu is the best of them all. Mikel is just a fortunate player. If we are to rate footballers critically, Okocha can not be in 10 in Nigeria.

I still don't know what people saw in that guy called okocha. Doing meaningless skills wey no get end result lol. Have you ever wondered why big clubs never even rushed him? It's because they know he's worthless. Football isn't by doing stupid skills wey no get end product. You're just entertaining the fans and not impacting the team.

Beedude:
He don use am setup Sporty Bet

No be papilo get sporty bet. He's just an ambassador.

Afriqan:
Even Mikel and Okocha both know it's Kanu Nwankwo.

Kanu was a very balanced and valuable player. It was either he scored in a match or assisted to get a very crucial goal. He did this in Ajax, Arsenal and even for the national team.

Till date, no player can match Papilo's record. He was just balanced!

Remind us Which of his records can't be matched

Oga na kanu,. (Individuals achievement, papilo dey, trophies yakpa...he played for big teams and was outstanding etc)
Okocha is the ronaldinho type bt without trophies. Op okocha played for small teams that he can be called king in. He was scared of going to man-u, real GOATS are not scared of competition. Nobe to dance on top ball while ur team is losing

NewDelhi:
No be papilo get sporty bet. He's just an ambassador.

Only kidding. Dont take it too serious

jcross19:
funny you people!! The most susscesful is what us talking about Valdez of Barcelona is more successful than neure of bayen but we all know the best among the two .. Click to the op even Mikel won silver as the second best to messi in under 20 in which no Nigeria player have gotten such... Respect the bro.

Pius Ikedia won the silver ball at Nigeria 1999 U20 World cup

Records and laurels are hugely considered when it comes to considering a player as one the best, or the best. You picked okocha and that's your opinion, which we've got to respect. Same okocha never won caf player of the year, he was one of the reasons we never made it to d quarter finals of USA 94 with his wasteful dribbles against Italy. Kanu is more result oriented. he's got scintillating skills on d ball and most times his moves creates goal scoring chances, hence his laurels. Op, u did not add uefa champions league title of 1995 to his laurels. Abi youve forgotten he came in from d bench? Same ajax team with finidi led by van gaal. Yes, my opinion, and yes again, Kanu is d greatest player of all time in naija. He performed back to back even after his heart surgery. If and when we talk about fanciful football, okocha is d highest, and most times fanciful plays do not generate result. Asides being the greatest in my opinion, kanu is among d few Nigerians that had long footballing career abroad. Okocha didn't live up to d talent deposited in him.. African blood too much in am.

Adejoke123:
Over the years, there have always been debate about who the greatest Nigerian Player of all time is. Kanu Nwankwo launched Nigerians to the Internal scene by being one of the first Nigerians to play for major European big boys and winning the Champions League in 1995 with Ajax.

Firstly, the greatest of all time (GOAT) is always a controversial topic in any field. This is because people use different criteria in determining who the GOAT is, and that’s why it is subjective.

But it is important to note that there’s a difference between the greatest and best player ever. Best is about ability alone while the other encapsulates everything, and that’s why I believe Ronaldo is the greatest player of his generation.

Having explained what greatness is all about, I have decided to narrow down the players that can be considered as Nigeria’s greatest player ever to three.

No disrespect to the likes of Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi, and Christian Chukwu, but they don’t tick all boxes, and also, they only appeal to older generations.

So the players I have picked are John Mikel Obi, Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. The criteria I used in picking out this three are honours, influence, popularity and then talent.

While the likes of Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba and Emmanuel Amuneke also have a shout, I decided to go for those three because they tick all boxes.

Before revealing my choice, I’ll take a look at their careers.

Mikel is the most successful player among the three following his success with Chelsea. The 32-year-old won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the Champions League and Europa League during his time with the Blues.

However, while titles are important in a player’s career, it is unfair to use it as the lone criterion in the ‘GOAT’ debate.

Titles won is a function of the team, and in fairness, Mikel won these titles because he played in a time Chelsea dominated English football.

Although he made over 300 appearances for the Blues, he was not really that important in the team. Chelsea would still have won those trophies without Mikel.

He did not have the same influence as Drogba, Lampard or Terry even though he featured regularly. On the international scene, Mikel won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, but his national team career mirrored that of his club career.

He had over 80 caps for Nigeria, but Mikel never imposed his authority in games. He was named captain following Enyeama’s retirement, but he was overshadowed by the likes of Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa in big games.

While his time as captain was commendable, his influence on the pitch was average at best.

The second name on my list is Kanu Nwankwo. Like Mikel, Kanu also had a successful club career first with Ajax and later with Arsenal.

The lanky forward won the Champions League, three Eredivisie titles, the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup with Ajax.

After leaving Ajax, Kanu joined Inter Milan where he won the UEFA Cup. He left Inter to sign for Arsenal, and during his time with the Gunners, he won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

He also won the FA Cup with Portsmouth, scoring the winner in 2008. However, unlike Mikel, Kanu was a key player in some of the teams he played for.

At Arsenal, he is fondly remembered for the hat-trick he scored against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. At the same time, he also scored some great goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Deportivo La Coruna.

As stated earlier, he also scored the goal that won Portsmouth the FA Cup in 2008. He also won a lot of individual honours.

Kanu is a two time BBC and CAF African Player of the year, while he also finished 11th and 23rd in the 1996 and 1999 Ballon d’Or awards respectively.

But success eluded Kanu on the international stage, and that’s the only blemish in his illustrious career. His only glory moment for Nigeria came at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics where he played a major role in Nigeria’s gold medal victory.

Despite representing Nigeria at six AFCON editions, Kanu never scored a goal, while he also did not win a title. At the 2000 edition, he was one of the two players that missed their spot-kicks against Cameroon.

Nevertheless, despite his lack of trophy with the national team, Kanu appealed to a lot of Nigerians and was a role model for a lot of people, especially after coming back from heart surgery. His popularity, influence and individual honours give him the edge over Mikel.

The last person on my list is Austin Jay-Jay-Okocha. Okocha never had much success at club level, but he was the most talented and popular among the three.

Only a few players both present and past could attempt what Okocha do with the ball. He was a magician and also created a lot of unforgettable moments.

He is hugely popular with Nigerians for his trickery, creativity and ability to create something out of the ordinary. Okocha was part of the Super Eagles team that dominated the 90s, while he also played a leading role in the team in the early parts of the new Millenium.

Of the three players picked, It is Okocha that Nigerians connect with most. He carried the country so many times and was a great role model.

Ask any aspiring footballer which Nigerian player they admire most, and the answer will be Okocha. The Premier League is the popular league in the country, and Okocha is one of the reasons why it has a massive following.

Although Mikel’s move to Chelsea also contributed to Premier League’s popularity in Nigeria, Okocha’s impact was more significant.

His move to Bolton came at a time DSTV started showing the Premier League. And he never disappointed as he delivered brilliant performances which earned him legendary status at the Reebok stadium.

Jay-Jay was so good that he was named in Daily Telegraph’s Premier League best 100 players. He was the only Nigerian on that list which says a lot given he never won the Premier League.

He was also named in Pele’s top 125 living footballers. He was twice BBC African Footballer of the year and was a runner-up twice for the CAF award, and was once nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

So Who Among The Three Is Nigeria’s Greatest Player?

Kanu and Mikel achieved so much at club level, but they don’t have the same influence as Okocha. Kanu won a lot of teams and individual honours and should have been the obvious choice given he is also popular among Nigerians.

But as stated earlier, he never won anything for the National team, and that counts against him. Okocha may not have many titles as the two, but he is hugely popular among Nigerians and also the most talented.

It’s why he is racking up major endorsements even in retirement. Kanu and Mikel may have a lot of trophies, but Okocha remains Nigeria’s greatest player.

Source: https://kikiotolunews.com/mikel-okocha-or-kanu-who-was-the-most-successful-nigerian-player/

namo77:
He has no afcon medal or champions league medal.... So what makes Kanu "Highest Achiever" ?

look at this joker.

I'm talking UEFA Champions league and you're here talking afcon?

you must be a local champion true true.

Nonsense.

Oil dey your head, baba. Okocha no be am jare
. Plenty legover wey nothing dey come out from. At PSG baba mess up big time. He no dey fit handle big challenges... Make I no talk again jare

walozanga:
Oga na kanu,. (Individuals achievement, papilo dey, trophies yakpa...he played for big teams and was outstanding etc)
Okocha is the ronaldinho type bt without trophies. Op okocha played for small teams that he can be called king in. He was scared of going to man-u, real GOATS are not scared of competition. Nobe to dance on top ball while ur team is losing

Mikel was never a regular starter at Chelsea under all the coaches. He only gets regular starts when there is a change of coach midseason and the new coach tries to change things. Once a new season starts he returns to the bench.

The likes of Essien, Ramirez, Oriol Romeu, Diarra, Van Ginkel, Meireles etc kept Mikel benched one time or the other.

I honestly don't get the Mikel hype from deluded fans. For super Eagles, Mikel playing days were the times they played some of the most eye sore football.

Adejoke123:
Over the years, there have always been debate about who the greatest Nigerian Player of all time is. Kanu Nwankwo launched Nigerians to the Internal scene by being one of the first Nigerians to play for major European big boys and winning the Champions League in 1995 with Ajax.

Firstly, the greatest of all time (GOAT) is always a controversial topic in any field. This is because people use different criteria in determining who the GOAT is, and that’s why it is subjective.

But it is important to note that there’s a difference between the greatest and best player ever. Best is about ability alone while the other encapsulates everything, and that’s why I believe Ronaldo is the greatest player of his generation.

Having explained what greatness is all about, I have decided to narrow down the players that can be considered as Nigeria’s greatest player ever to three.

No disrespect to the likes of Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi, and Christian Chukwu, but they don’t tick all boxes, and also, they only appeal to older generations.

So the players I have picked are John Mikel Obi, Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. The criteria I used in picking out this three are honours, influence, popularity and then talent.

While the likes of Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba and Emmanuel Amuneke also have a shout, I decided to go for those three because they tick all boxes.

Before revealing my choice, I’ll take a look at their careers.

Mikel is the most successful player among the three following his success with Chelsea. The 32-year-old won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the Champions League and Europa League during his time with the Blues.

However, while titles are important in a player’s career, it is unfair to use it as the lone criterion in the ‘GOAT’ debate.

Titles won is a function of the team, and in fairness, Mikel won these titles because he played in a time Chelsea dominated English football.

Although he made over 300 appearances for the Blues, he was not really that important in the team. Chelsea would still have won those trophies without Mikel.

He did not have the same influence as Drogba, Lampard or Terry even though he featured regularly. On the international scene, Mikel won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, but his national team career mirrored that of his club career.

He had over 80 caps for Nigeria, but Mikel never imposed his authority in games. He was named captain following Enyeama’s retirement, but he was overshadowed by the likes of Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa in big games.

While his time as captain was commendable, his influence on the pitch was average at best.

The second name on my list is Kanu Nwankwo. Like Mikel, Kanu also had a successful club career first with Ajax and later with Arsenal.

The lanky forward won the Champions League, three Eredivisie titles, the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup with Ajax.

After leaving Ajax, Kanu joined Inter Milan where he won the UEFA Cup. He left Inter to sign for Arsenal, and during his time with the Gunners, he won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups.

He also won the FA Cup with Portsmouth, scoring the winner in 2008. However, unlike Mikel, Kanu was a key player in some of the teams he played for.

At Arsenal, he is fondly remembered for the hat-trick he scored against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. At the same time, he also scored some great goals against Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Deportivo La Coruna.

As stated earlier, he also scored the goal that won Portsmouth the FA Cup in 2008. He also won a lot of individual honours.

Kanu is a two time BBC and CAF African Player of the year, while he also finished 11th and 23rd in the 1996 and 1999 Ballon d’Or awards respectively.

But success eluded Kanu on the international stage, and that’s the only blemish in his illustrious career. His only glory moment for Nigeria came at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics where he played a major role in Nigeria’s gold medal victory.

Despite representing Nigeria at six AFCON editions, Kanu never scored a goal, while he also did not win a title. At the 2000 edition, he was one of the two players that missed their spot-kicks against Cameroon.

Nevertheless, despite his lack of trophy with the national team, Kanu appealed to a lot of Nigerians and was a role model for a lot of people, especially after coming back from heart surgery. His popularity, influence and individual honours give him the edge over Mikel.

The last person on my list is Austin Jay-Jay-Okocha. Okocha never had much success at club level, but he was the most talented and popular among the three.

Only a few players both present and past could attempt what Okocha do with the ball. He was a magician and also created a lot of unforgettable moments.

He is hugely popular with Nigerians for his trickery, creativity and ability to create something out of the ordinary. Okocha was part of the Super Eagles team that dominated the 90s, while he also played a leading role in the team in the early parts of the new Millenium.

Of the three players picked, It is Okocha that Nigerians connect with most. He carried the country so many times and was a great role model.

Ask any aspiring footballer which Nigerian player they admire most, and the answer will be Okocha. The Premier League is the popular league in the country, and Okocha is one of the reasons why it has a massive following.

Although Mikel’s move to Chelsea also contributed to Premier League’s popularity in Nigeria, Okocha’s impact was more significant.

His move to Bolton came at a time DSTV started showing the Premier League. And he never disappointed as he delivered brilliant performances which earned him legendary status at the Reebok stadium.

Jay-Jay was so good that he was named in Daily Telegraph’s Premier League best 100 players. He was the only Nigerian on that list which says a lot given he never won the Premier League.

He was also named in Pele’s top 125 living footballers. He was twice BBC African Footballer of the year and was a runner-up twice for the CAF award, and was once nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

So Who Among The Three Is Nigeria’s Greatest Player?

Kanu and Mikel achieved so much at club level, but they don’t have the same influence as Okocha. Kanu won a lot of teams and individual honours and should have been the obvious choice given he is also popular among Nigerians.

But as stated earlier, he never won anything for the National team, and that counts against him. Okocha may not have many titles as the two, but he is hugely popular among Nigerians and also the most talented.

It’s why he is racking up major endorsements even in retirement. Kanu and Mikel may have a lot of trophies, but Okocha remains Nigeria’s greatest player.

Source: https://kikiotolunews.com/mikel-okocha-or-kanu-who-was-the-most-successful-nigerian-player/

OP.

This your own opinion and it is not objective....you were quick to pick the statistics for the various players you have listed according to your preference...i.e your personal like.

Now in terms of rating....i would rate Mikel as the most succesful of them all, followed by Kanu and lastly Okocha. This is why.

First you need to apologised to Mikel for saying he had added nothing to the Nigerian and the Chelsea...this is really really absurd and appalling to say.

let me start with Chelsea...Mikel played key parts in all the his triumphs with Chelsea...the 2007 cup agasint Arsenal, did you watch it? The 2009 league success, did you watch it? as well as other triumphs. Specifically, if you watch the 2012 champions league and you could say Mikel did not bring anything to the Chelsea team, you need to ask for forgiveness....it was a defensive triumph for the blues and Mikel played a key part, most specifically in the semi-final and the final....football pundits round the world praised Mikel for role in the game that Chelsea had to defend from start to finish. If Mikel was that useless and brought nothing to the team....why did the various 12 coaches that coached the team from 2007 till 2016 always have Mikel in their part? Some one played ten solid seasons in a top English club and despites the various players that were bought and sold for his position and you say such person brought nothing to the team This is pure hatred

Now to the National team...Mikel did well for Nigeria, he might not be the flaboyant and play-to-the gallery type of midfielder, but he played his roled very well, with sleek passes, defensive works, and goals when needed. In 2013 Afcon Triump, all statistics favoured Mikel to be the best player of the tournament ahead of Pitroipa, but French and English voting wahala robbed him off that glory....

Austin Okocha was my childhood footballing hero...i wrote several poems about him....but now, i know better, Okocha was more of a show baller than a team player....when i rewatch Naija old matches and see what Okocha was doing, if he does that in modern football, he would have rotten on the bench...dude would dribble and dribble and would be blind to his number 9 for the final passes...which on most occasions left his strikers frustrated...in club football, what did he achieve? compared to that of Kanu and Mikel ? Remember our loss to Denmark in France 98, kai...i nearly wan die....Okocha was just playing to the gallery and this was so evident!!!! In Tunisia 94, he put up a good show for the team but the likes of Amunike, Yekini, etc were ahead of him in terms of performance...at the '96 Olympic...Kanu was definitely the star man..Okocha was a fantastic individual player than a team player.

To Papilo, he is a combination of Mikel and Okocha, has got the goals, the passes, the dribble, the individual and the team plays! Kudos to the big man for Shining at AJax, Inter, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Nigeria...its unfortunate that he has no AFCON goal and not AFCON goal medal.

Now my rating

Mikel; Won 1 UCL, 1 EL, 2 EP, 3 FA, 1 League cup, 1 CMS, 1 AFCON
Kanu; 1 OG, 4 Eredivise, 2 EP, 1 EP, 1 SP, 1 NPFL, 2 FA, 1-U17 WC
Okocha; 1 OG, 1 AFCON, 1 intertoto cup, 1 Saarland Cup, 1 Oberliga Südwest, 1 Prime Minister CUP, 1 Ataturk cup, 1 Trophée des Champions,

Most Successful is
Kanu
Mikel
Okocha

Most Flamboyant
Okocha
Kanu
Mikel

Best Team Player
Mikel
Kanu
Okocha

Maobichek:
Mikel won everything except Olympic gold and Mikel is the richest Nigerian who played the leather-round-object game. He was not among Chelsea's first 11 but patiently collected money and trophies including British citizenship.

We are talking about their exploits and achievement on the Africa scene, now you're quantifying them using monetary terms and their exploits abroad, have you forgotten atlanta olympic 96? Or have you forgotten diouf of senegal naming okocha as the most skillful africa player? So it"s an insult putting these legends in the same category with mikel obi, abi you don forget that okocha free kick against cameroun or how he humilated oliver khan

elmagnifico411:
Records and laurels are hugely considered when it comes to considering a player as one the best, or the best. You picked okocha and that's your opinion, which we've got to respect. Same okocha never won caf player of the year, he was one of the reasons we never made it to d quarter finals of USA 94 with his wasteful dribbles against Italy. Kanu is more result oriented. he's got scintillating skills on d ball and most times his moves creates goal scoring chances, hence his laurels. Op, u did not add uefa champions league title of 1995 to his laurels. Abi youve forgotten he came in from d bench? Same ajax team with finidi led by van gaal. Yes, my opinion, and yes again, Kanu is d greatest player of all time in naija. He performed back to back even after his heart surgery. If and when we talk about fanciful football, okocha is d highest, and most times fanciful plays do not generate result. Asides being the greatest in my opinion, kanu is among d few Nigerians that had long footballing career abroad. Okocha didn't live up to d talent deposited in him.. African blood too much in am.

Yet Okocha was a 7time Nigerian footballer of the year, Scored more goals for Super Eagles as a MF than Kanu who never scored an AFCON goal, 2 times BBC African footballer of the year among others. Kanu had more club trophies than Okocha, but playwise, Kanu was a super sub for most of his Super Eagles career and his highlight was way back in Atlanta1996

Niyinficient:
OP.

This your own opinion and it is not objective....you were quick to pick the statistics for the various players you have listed according to your preference...i.e your personal like.

Now in terms of rating....i would rate Mikel as the most succesful of them all, followed by Kanu and lastly Okocha. This is why.

First you need to apologised to Mikel for saying he had added nothing to the Nigerian and the Chelsea...this is really really absurd and appalling to say.

let me start with Chelsea...Mikel played key parts in all the his triumphs with Chelsea...the 2007 cup agasint Arsenal, did you watch it? The 2009 league success, did you watch it? as well as other triumphs. Specifically, if you watch the 2012 champions league and you could say Mikel did not bring anything to the Chelsea team, you need to ask for forgiveness....it was a defensive triumph for the blues and Mikel played a key part, most specifically in the semi-final and the final....football pundits round the world praised Mikel for role in the game that Chelsea had to defend from start to finish. If Mikel was that useless and brought nothing to the team....why did the various 12 coaches that coached the team from 2007 till 2016 always have Mikel in their part? Some one played ten solid seasons in a top English club and despites the various players that were bought and sold for his position and you say such person brought nothing to the team This is pure hatred

Now to the National team...Mikel did well for Nigeria, he might not be the flaboyant and play-to-the gallery type of midfielder, but he played his roled very well, with sleek passes, defensive works, and goals when needed. In 2013 Afcon Triump, all statistics favoured Mikel to be the best player of the tournament ahead of Pitroipa, but French and English voting wahala robbed him off that glory....

Austin Okocha was my childhood footballing hero...i wrote several poems about him....but now, i know better, Okocha was more of a show baller than a team player....when i rewatch Naija old matches and see what Okocha was doing, if he does that in modern football, he would have rotten on the bench...dude would dribble and dribble and would be blind to his number 9 for the final passes...which on most occasions left his strikers frustrated...in club football, what did he achieve? compared to that of Kanu and Mikel ? Remember our loss to Denmark in France 98, kai...i nearly wan die....Okocha was just playing to the gallery and this was so evident!!!! In Tunisia 94, he put up a good show for the team but the likes of Amunike, Yekini, etc were ahead of him in terms of performance...at the '96 Olympic...Kanu was definitely the star man..Okocha was a fantastic individual player than a team player.

To Papilo, he is a combination of Mikel and Okocha, has got the goals, the passes, the dribble, the individual and the team plays! Kudos to the big man for Shining at AJax, Inter, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Nigeria...its unfortunate that he has no AFCON goal and not AFCON goal medal.

Now my rating

Mikel; Won 1 UCL, 1 EL, 2 EP, 3 FA, 1 League cup, 1 CMS, 1 AFCON
Kanu; 1 OG, 4 Eredivise, 2 EP, 1 EP, 1 SP, 1 NPFL, 2 FA, 1-U17 WC
Okocha; 1 OG, 1 AFCON, 1 intertoto cup, 1 Saarland Cup, 1 Oberliga Südwest, 1 Prime Minister CUP, 1 Ataturk cup, 1 Trophée des Champions,

Most Successful is
Kanu
Mikel
Okocha

Most Flamboyant
Okocha
Kanu
Mikel

Best Team Player
Mikel
Kanu
Okocha

Okocha is the least team player by your reckoning, yet he happens to start games more regularly for club and country than the others who were mainly impact substitute players throughout their careers. He also was a captain at both club and country in his playing days.

Mr100Dollars:
All of them are good, but na Mikel dey enjoy pass, both Kpekus and money...

You say!!!

Now go to the corner of the house, kneel down, close your eyes and raise your hands

namo77:
World cup and Champions League medal is the highest achievement for any player...

Mikel has champions league medal..

Kanu has one also, with an intercontinental cup which Mikel doesn't have