It can only be Igbos





Igbo Amaka

What are we talking here, okocha is the entertainer, Kanu the buz man while Mike earned all the accolades withe the money... Mikels Era in football gets highly monetized, and so the money he made playing surpassed what those senior men made in football... Can someone tell me what was kanus last salary is per week and that of okocha and mikel...

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!

Talent: Okocha

Successful: Kanu

Richest: Mikel

Overall best according to Fifa and CAF ranking: Kanu

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/

Why is this writer contradicting himself? He listed the titles of both Mikel and Kanu but still went on to say Mikel was the most successful when Kanu has more titles from different leagues and even personal awards from CAF and BBC. Is counting too difficult to do?

Jay Jay is the greatest and ranks among MY best in the world especially in creativity with the ball.

What is John Obi Mikel's name doing on this list?

xpressionx:
By Laurels,Mikel,by impact Okocha

That's not even true. Kanu had more laurels than Mikel. Those titles and awards were clearly stated in the article.

you were making sence until you said that Ronaldo is the best and again you didn't the importance of Mikel but every coach that comes to Chelsea knows his value

kenzysmith:
Mikel is the most successful Nigerian player, he play in the highest level longer than their 2. In terms of achievement he is d greatest of all time

What did Mikel achieve in football that Kanu did not achieve even more. Is it about titles with the teams they played for (league titles, UEFA cup, Champions league, FA cups) or personal awards - Kanu a two-time CAF African player of the year winner, not sure Mikel was even nominated.

Maobichek:


Talent: Okocha

Successful: Kanu

Richest: Mikel

Overall best according to Fifa and CAF ranking: Kanu

That settles it. Too bad Okocha's talent didn't amount to much success. His finishing was very poor.

SportsHD:
Okocha is the Messi while papillo is the cr7. Both are amazing no doubt.

Your statement is highly political or diplomatic.

Success is dependent on observers and parameters of judgment. One thing I know, in this century, either FIFA or EUFA or at any regional football level , wherever the titans of football are mentioned, Austin Okocha Jay Jay 10 can never be missing.

Titans of football in this century is not dependent on Africa footballer of year award. Okocha remains one of the greatest footballer from the Africa continent. He might not have many laurels or be very wealthy.

The abundance of a man is not determined by his wealth but by impacts on his generation. Whenever the World's number 10 are mentioned, Okocha can never be missing.

IPIGSRDOTARDS:
[s][/s]

Stale...

Respect ur self. Don't annoy me

princewarri1985:
What is mikel doing on this list? It's an insult to put mikel obi beside these legends

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.

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!

Exactly.

Afriqan:


That settles it. Too bad Okocha's talent didn't amount to much success. His finishing was very poor.

Bolton Wanderers didn't help Okocha, in a bid to play in the EPL, he destroyed everything. His Coach at Bolton Sam said that EPL was a bad choice for Okocha. Imagine moving from PSG to Bolton? Then EPL was below Laliga and Seria A in UEFA ranking.

Whenever Chelsea planned to sell Mikel, the first choice DM go get serious injury,as no club wanted to pay more than 1millon for the dude.


Okocha turned the light of the world toward Nigeria national team.Kanu became famous due to the heart stuff.

Okocha is Nigeria greatest export to the world of soccer.

SportsHD:
Okocha is the Messi while papillo is the cr7. Both are amazing no doubt.

Please okocha is bigger than messi and cr7 is bigger than kanu
Ur comparison doesn't add up

Sheggy13:

Why is this writer contradicting himself? He listed the titles of both Mikel and Kanu but still went on to say Mikel was the most successful when Kanu has more titles from different leagues and even personal awards from CAF and BBC. Is counting too difficult to do?

I thought I was the only one who noticed that.

Who is a GOAT among these 3. Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Goodluck Jonathan.

What about Okorocha?

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/

Best analysis so far about the goat of Nigeria footballers.But Jay jay won Tunisia 94 afcon.

MIKEL

Just a point of correction, apart from the Olympic gold medal, Kanu was a key part of U17 world Cup winning team in Japan 93 with Wilson Oruma being the captain of the team.
It is also wrong to say that Okocha won nothing at the international level because he was a key player in the Super Eagle winning team at Tunisia 94, and also a key player at Atlanta 96 Olympic winning team captained by Kanu Nwakwo.

Semaj77:



Thank you my brother , Mikel shouldn't even be on the list

Definitely

with the points you wrote above isn't it obvious that KANU is the greatest among them
and Mikel wasn't always average(at best) at Chelsea especially that champions league year, he was as important as Lampard and Drogba

Maobichek:


Bolton Wanderers didn't help Okocha, in a bid to play in the EPL, he destroyed everything. His Coach at Bolton Sam said that EPL was a bad choice for Okocha. Imagine moving from PSG to Bolton? Then EPL was below Laliga and Seria A in UEFA ranking.

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.

paulolee:
I dnt care about records n laurels...for me its jay jay, he was my greatest n left a big void dt no other player can field..
a very skillful midfielder dt added alot of entertainment to football..
go forever miss that gee abeg

U certainly don't know the meaning of that word.... now I know whr ur problem is coming from

oyeb15:
Whenever Chelsea planned to sell Mikel, the first choice DM go get serious injury,as no club wanted to pay more than 1millon for the dude.


Okocha turned the light of the world toward Nigeria national team.Kanu became famous due to the heart stuff.

Okocha is Nigeria greatest export to the world of soccer.

Kanu wasn't famous because of heart desease , he won champions League at the age of 17 and was key figure in that Ajax team, they also got to the final the following year loosing to Juve on penalties. He secured a transfer to Inter Milan to partner with Ronaldo De Lima and helped Nigeria won the Olympic in '96 months before his heart problem was diagnosed.
Kanu is even more talented than Okocha, yeah Jay Jay do the dribbles and tricks but Kanu was more like Zidane with his game as he did few tricks here and there why also contributing goals and assists.

Remember Kanu is rated 13th in Arsenal's all time greatest players, Okcoha's name is only remembered fondly by Bolton fans.

Kanu is the most successful among the three.

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!

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