Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has sparked debate among Nigerian football fans after revealing his greatest-ever Nigeria starting XI, with two of the country’s biggest modern stars surprisingly missing from his selection.
John Mikel Obi and current Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen were both left out of Yakubu’s all-time team, despite their impressive international careers and major achievements at club level.
Yakubu revealed his selection in a video shared by the official Super Eagles social media account on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
The former Nigeria international opted for a team heavily influenced by players from his generation, although one of his defensive selections came from the current era.
In goal, Yakubu selected Vincent Enyeama, one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in Super Eagles history, Enyeama enjoyed a long international career with Nigeria and became one of the country’s most recognisable players during the 2000s and 2010s.
His selection is hardly surprising given his consistency and importance to the national team during one of Nigeria’s strongest periods in international football.
Yakubu chose Joseph Yobo and Danny Shittu as his two central defenders, Yobo was one of Nigeria’s most dependable defenders and eventually became the country’s most-capped player at the time of his retirement.
Shittu, meanwhile, was known for his physical presence and defensive strength and represented Nigeria at major international tournaments.
The two defenders played during Yakubu’s era with the Super Eagles, making their inclusion understandable given the former striker’s personal experience with them.
One of the biggest surprises in Yakubu’s team is Bright Osayi-Samuel, the current Super Eagles defender was selected at right-back despite competing with several established Nigerian players from previous generations.
Osayi-Samuel’s inclusion is particularly interesting because Yakubu’s team otherwise contains several legendary figures from Nigeria’s past.
Celestine Babayaro was selected on the opposite side of the defence, Babayaro was one of Nigeria’s outstanding left-backs and enjoyed a successful club career in Europe, including a long spell in the Premier League.
The biggest talking point from the selection may be the absence of John Mikel Obi, Mikel remains one of Nigeria’s most decorated footballers of the modern era, he won major trophies during his time with Chelsea and played an important role for the Super Eagles for many years.
However, Yakubu preferred another Nigerian midfield legend, Sunday Oliseh was selected as the holding midfielder, while Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha was given the creative midfield role.
Oliseh was a key figure for Nigeria during the 1990s and early 2000s and was renowned for his passing, intelligence and ability to control the midfield.
Okocha, meanwhile, needs little introduction to Nigerian football supporters, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers star remains one of the most technically gifted players Nigeria has produced.
Yakubu selected Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa as his wide attacking players, Finidi was an important member of Nigeria’s celebrated 1990s generation and played a key role in the Super Eagles team that reached the 1994 World Cup and won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
Aghahowa brought something different, known for his pace, athleticism and famous goal celebrations, the former Shakhtar Donetsk striker became one of Nigeria’s most exciting attacking players during his international career, their inclusion gives Yakubu’s team a mixture of experience, pace and attacking threat.
Victor Osimhen is another major omission from the team, the Napoli and Galatasaray star has established himself as one of Nigeria’s leading strikers and one of the most recognised African forwards of his generation.
Osimhen’s omission is therefore likely to generate considerable discussion among Super Eagles supporters.
However, Yakubu’s selection appears to be based largely on the players he played alongside and watched during his own international career.
Rather than selecting a team based purely on current statistics, he appears to have gone with players he considers the greatest based on his personal football experience.
Up front, Yakubu selected himself alongside another Nigerian legend, Nwankwo Kanu, Kanu is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers Nigeria has ever produced.
The former Ajax, Inter Milan and Arsenal forward won major trophies at club level and played a major role for the Super Eagles across several generations.
Yakubu’s own selection is also backed by an impressive international record.
He scored 21 goals in 57 appearances for Nigeria between 2000 and 2012, making him the country’s fourth-highest all-time goalscorer.
His partnership with Kanu would have offered a combination of physical strength, movement, finishing and experience.
Yakubu’s complete all-time Super Eagles team is:
Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama
Defenders: Bright Osayi-Samuel, Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu, Celestine Babayaro
Midfielders: Sunday Oliseh, Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha
Wingers: Finidi George, Julius Aghahowa
Forwards: Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nwankwo Kanu
All-time football selections are rarely free from controversy, particularly when a country has produced generations of outstanding players.
Nigeria’s football history includes legends such as Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu, Mikel Obi and more recently Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
That makes choosing only 11 players an almost impossible task.
Yakubu’s selection is particularly interesting because it combines legends from different generations with the unexpected inclusion of Osayi-Samuel.
The absence of Mikel and Osimhen will undoubtedly dominate much of the discussion, but Yakubu’s team also provides an opportunity to revisit some of the players who helped shape Nigerian football during the late 1990s and 2000s.
Whether fans agree with his choices or not, one thing is certain: Yakubu’s greatest-ever Super Eagles XI has given Nigerian football supporters plenty to debate.
