Top Goal Scorers For Nigeria Football Team All-Time: Nigeria has many amazing football players. Some of them are really outstanding and famous. People might not talk about Nigeria as much as other countries in football, but it’s a great football nation. The players here are very talented, and that shows Nigeria has a bright future in football.
In Africa, football is a big deal. Even though European leagues are very popular, African football, especially in Nigeria, has a unique charm. Nigerian players may not be as polished as those in the top European leagues, but they work really hard and give their best on the field.
Top Goal Scorers For Nigeria Football Team All-Time
Let’s talk about the top 10 goal scorers in the history of the Nigerian national football team.
1. Rashidi Yekini
- Career Span: 1983–1998
- Matches: 62
- Goals: 37
- Average: 0.6
Rashidi Yekini is Nigeria’s top goal scorer in football. He played 62 games for the Nigerian national team and scored 37 goals. He also played in the 1994 World Cup, where he scored Nigeria’s first goal in the game against Bulgaria (which Nigeria won 3-0), and he played in the 1998 World Cup as well.
In 1994, he was named the African Footballer of the Year and helped Nigeria win the 1993 African Continental Championship, where he was the top scorer, just like he was in 1992. He also took part in the Olympic football tournament in 1988.
2. Segun Odegbami
- Career Span: 1976–1981
- Matches: 47
- Goals: 22
- Average: 0.47
Segun Odegbami is the second-highest goal scorer for Nigeria. He played 47 games for the national team and scored 22 goals. He played a significant role in leading Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, which was held in Nigeria. Odegbami, nicknamed Mathematical, was known for his incredible skills, speed, and precise crosses from the right wing. He spent his entire career playing for IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan from 1970 to 1984.
Interestingly, he got the nickname “Mathematical” because he studied engineering at Nigeria’s premier technical institution, The Polytechnic, Ibadan. He was a skilled player both on and off the field. Odegbami’s last game was in the 1984 African Champions Cup final, where his team was defeated by Zamalek of Egypt.
3. Yakubu
- Career Span: 2000–2012
- Matches: 58
- Goals: 21
- Average: 0.36
Yakubu Aiyegbeni is the third-highest goal scorer for Nigeria. He started playing for the Nigerian national football team in 2000 and participated in the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in 2002, 2004, and 2008. He has played 58 matches for Nigeria and scored 21 goals. His first game was in April 2000 against the Eritrean national football team.
He also played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with the Nigerian team, although they were eliminated in the preliminary round. Aiyegbeni’s last international match was in February 2012.
4. Victor Osimhen
- Career Span: 2017–present
- Matches: 26
- Goals: 20
- Average: 0.77
Victor Osimhen is the fourth-highest goal scorer for Nigeria. He made his international debut for Nigeria in March 2015 during the U17 Africa Cup. Later that year, in November, he helped Nigeria win the U17 World Cup and was the top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals. In December 2015, Osimhen was also part of Nigeria’s team for the U23 Africa Cup, which they won.
On June 1, 2017, Osimhen made his first appearance for the senior Nigerian national team as a substitute in a friendly match against Togo, coming on at half-time for Ahmed Musa.
Osimhen made a great start in the qualification matches for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He helped Nigeria win their first two matches. He finished the 2023 AFCON qualifiers as the top scorer with 10 goals.
5. Ikechukwu Uche
- Career Span: 2007–2014
- Matches: 46
- Goals: 19
- Average: 0.41
Ikechukwu Uche is the fifth-highest goal scorer for Nigeria. He started playing for the Nigerian national team in August 2007 under coach Berti Vogts, making his debut against Macedonia. A few months later, he was part of Nigeria’s squad at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana, where he played three matches, including the quarter-final against hosts Ghana, which Nigeria lost 1-2.
During the qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup, Uche was the top scorer for Nigeria, scoring four goals, tying with Victor Obinna. However, despite being named in the 30-man provisional squad, he didn’t make it to the final 23-player World Cup squad due to a knee injury he suffered in Zaragoza. This injury had also kept him from participating in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
