Former Nigeria international striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has sparked debate among football fans after revealing his personal all-time Super Eagles XI, with several of the national team’s most celebrated players missing from his selection.

Yakubu unveiled the team in a video shared by the official Nigeria national team account on X. His selection heavily favoured players from the generation of the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as former teammates from his own international career.

The former striker selected Vincent Enyeama in goal, with Joseph Yobo and Danny Shittu forming the central defensive partnership. Celestine Babayaro was named at left-back, while Bright Osayi-Samuel occupied the right-back position.

In midfield, Yakubu opted for Sunday Oliseh and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha, with Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa providing width.

Up front, Yakubu selected himself alongside former African Footballer of the Year Nwankwo Kanu.

His XI therefore consists of Enyeama; Osayi-Samuel, Yobo, Shittu, Babayaro; Finidi, Oliseh, Okocha, Aghahowa; Kanu and Yakubu.

Yekini’s Absence Draws Attention

The most striking omission from the selection is the late Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria’s record men’s international goalscorer.

Yekini scored 37 goals for the Super Eagles and remains the country’s leading scorer, while Victor Osimhen has moved into second place with 35 goals. Yakubu is fourth on the all-time list with 21 goals.

Yekini was also a key figure in Nigeria’s golden era, including the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team and the country’s first appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

The absence of John Obi Mikel has also generated discussion. Mikel made more than 90 international appearances for Nigeria and was an important member of the 2013 AFCON-winning side. He also captained the national team before his retirement.

Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s current leading active goalscorer, was another notable omission. Osimhen has already surpassed Yakubu’s international goal tally and currently sits second behind Yekini on Nigeria’s scoring chart.

A Team Built Around Yakubu’s Generation

Yakubu’s selection appears to reflect his personal assessment of the players he considers most influential rather than a definitive ranking of Nigeria’s greatest footballers.

Several members of the team were part of Nigeria’s successful era around the 1990s and early 2000s. Okocha, Oliseh, Finidi, Kanu and Babayaro, for instance, featured prominently during a period in which the Super Eagles won the 1994 AFCON and Olympic gold at Atlanta 1996.

The inclusion of Yakubu himself is also likely to fuel discussion. Although his international goal tally places him among Nigeria’s most prolific scorers, he remains behind Yekini and Osimhen in the country’s historical rankings.

The selection has consequently reopened a familiar argument among Nigerian football supporters: whether an all-time XI should be based primarily on individual talent, international statistics, trophies, longevity or a player’s influence on the Super Eagles.

Ultimately, Yakubu’s XI remains a personal selection, but the omissions of Yekini, Mikel, Osimhen, Daniel Amokachi and Victor Ikpeba have ensured that the debate over Nigeria’s greatest-ever team is far from settled.