chux4liv:
PHILIP OSONDU – The Most Valuable player U16 world cup
1987, Philip Osondu was named Most Valuable player at the FIFA U16 World Cup. At the time, he was 16 years old. When he first got invited to the Eagles in 1981, Philip Osondu was in the same team but both got dropped after the first phase of camping before qualifiers for the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup began.
However, Osondu, after a sparkling performance at the U16 World Cup in 1987, was signed on by Anderlecht and was supposed to be a player for the future. He managed to play in the U20 World Cup in two years (1989) as an 18 year old, but two years later, Osondu could no longer play football actively. After he left Andelecht, he started selling African fabrics at the airport in Brussels and later on became a cleaner in the same airport.

tinuolababy:


so so sad

tinuolababy:


so so sad

tinuolababy:


so so sad

chux4liv:
SEGUN ODEGBAMI

Odegbami won 46 caps and scored 23 goals for the National Team, and guided Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations title at the 1980 tournament in his homeland. Nicknamed Mathematical, he was famous for his skill on the ball, speed and precision of his crosses from the right wing. He played for IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan his entire career, from 1970 to 1984. His last game was the 1984 African Champions Cup final defeat to Zamalek of Egypt. The original source of the nickname "Mathematical" was because Segun Odegbami attended and was graduated from Nigeria's premier technical institution, The Polytechnic, Ibadan. He studied Engineering. source Wikipedia

chux4liv:
RASHIDI YEKINI

He Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria in 58 appearances,[and was the national record goalscorer. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 (where he netted Nigeria's first-ever goal in a World Cup, in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria, his celebration after scoring, crying while holding the goal's net, became one of the iconic images of the tournament) and the 1998 FIFA World Cups.

Additionally, Yekini helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations where he also topped the goal charts and was named best player of the tournament Source : Wikipedia

chux4liv:
SAMUEL OKPARAJI- Greatest footballer of all time
Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji (19 May 1964 – 12 August 1989) was a professional footballer who played internationally for Nigeria. He was also a qualified lawyer who had a masters in international law from the University of Rome.[1] He collapsed and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute of a World Cup qualification match against Angola at the Lagos National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State on 12 August 1989.
Source: Wikipedia

chux4liv:
TESLIM BALOGUN

He was the first player to have a hat-trick in the competition, in Pan Bank's 6-1 rout of Warri in 1953.[2] After originally touring with a Nigerian select team in 1949. During his time in Nigeria, Balogun won the Challenge Cup a total of five times in seven finals. Balogun became the first African to qualify as a professional coach.[1] He was a coach for Nigeria at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
Source: You know naa... WIKI

chux4liv:
PHILIP OSONDU – The Most Valuable player U16 world cup


1987, Philip Osondu was named Most Valuable player at the FIFA U16 World Cup. At the time, he was 16 years old. When he first got invited to the Eagles in 1981, Philip Osondu was in the same team but both got dropped after the first phase of camping before qualifiers for the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup began.
However, Osondu, after a sparkling performance at the U16 World Cup in 1987, was signed on by Anderlecht and was supposed to be a player for the future. He managed to play in the U20 World Cup in two years (1989) as an 18 year old, but two years later, Osondu could no longer play football actively. After he left Andelecht, he started selling African fabrics at the airport in Brussels and later on became a cleaner in the same airport.

tuffgongjo:
Nice one op,thanks for this.

pak:
Time fails me but I would have provided bios of the underlisted and searched for pix online to spice up the thread, however these are other notable mentions amongst the almost forgotten 'greats' of Nigerian football especially in the 80's when I was a growing football addict.

Victor Igbinoba
Andrew Uwe
Kayode Keshinro
Andrew Aikhomogbe
Lemmy Issa
Jide Oguntuwase
Bawa Abdulahi
Sam Elijah
DImeji Lawal
Christopher Nwosu
Adeolu Adekola
Etim Esin (Okocha's Forbearer)
Chris Ohenhen
Segun Fetuga
Yisa Shofoluwa (The prototype of the modern left wing back who was scorned back then for displaying flair instead of grit as a defender)
Bright Omokaro and Ademola Adeshina (Butchers)
David Ngodigha
Ishaya Jatau
Friday Elaho
Friday Ekpo (paved way for the okocha/oliseh generation)


That's all for now folks

chux4liv:

Thanks for thanking me... Will update more names soon