- Though other attributes count, but the ability to put the ball at the back of the net defines a striker.
- How efficient a striker does this onerous task is determined by the number of goals scored by the player per minutes spent on the pitch or the average number of goals scored in several matches.
- Based on this criterion, EKO HOT BLOG ranks the top 5 most efficient striker that has ever played for the Super Eagles.
Note that only players that played at least ten matches for the Super Eagles are ranked using the ratio of several goals scored to the number of games played to get an average number of goals scored per match.
(1) Rashidi Yekini
In terms of several goals scored, no player comes close to Rashidi Yekini, (Nigeria most celebrated goal scorer) as he scored a total of 37 goals for the Super Eagles during his playing days, which included the Super Eagles’ first-ever World Cup goal.
He played for the team in 58 international games averaging 0.63 goals per match between 1984 to 1998.
(2) Elkanah Onyeali.
Elkanah Onyeali is ranked as the second most efficient Super Eagles striker.
Onyeali scored 11 goals in 11 appearances for the Super Eagles to give an average of 1 goal per match.
He bettered Yekini’s return with 0.37 goals per match.
Elkanah played for the team between 1958 and 1962. He is so talented that he was signed by Tranmere Rovers FC of England in 1961. He was the first Nigerian player to come from overseas to represent the Super Eagles.
He scored Eleven goals in a spread of 5 games which include four goals in a match, and hold the honour of being the first Super Eagles player to score four goals in a match. He scored the remaining seven in four games.
(3) Sunday Oyarekhua
The third best efficient striker is Sunday Oyarekhua. Oyarekhua scored a total of 17 goals in 28 matches for the Super Eagles with an average goal of 0.60 goals per match.
Sunday Oyarekhua who led the Super Eagles attack from 1971 to 1976, started his career at Police Machine FC and he was given his Super Eagles breakthrough game by Coach Father Tiko (blessed memory) against Upper Volta in 1971.
He served in the Nigeria Police up to the level of an Assistant Commissioner of Police before he retired from the Nigeria Police.
(4) Segun Odegbami
The “mathematical” Segun Odegbami comes in the ranking order of the efficient goal scorers.
The wing wizard scored 23 goals in 46 appearances, making a superb return of a goal in every two games as he posted 0.5 goals to match ratio.
Odegbami scored in the finals of the 1980 Africa Cup Of Nations in Lagos when Nigeria won the Unity Cup for the first time in history.
He represented Nigeria in many competitions between 1976 to 1982, helping out with his efficiency in front of goals.
(5) Julius Aghahowa
Julius Aghahowa is the fifth most efficient striker in the colours of the Super Eagles.
He scored a total of 14 goals in 32 games with a return of 0.43 goals per match.
The junior FIFA World Cup hero played for the Super Eagles from the year 2000 to 2007.
He represented Nigeria in two Nations, Ghana/ Nigeria 2000 and Mali 2002 where Nigeria won silver and bronze medals respectively.
He delighted the fans with backflips each time he scored for the team.
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