Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni snubbed both Rashidi Yekini and John Obi Mikel as he unveiled his greatest-ever Nigeria starting eleven in a video shared on the official Super Eagles account on X, with current forward Victor Osimhen also missing from his selection, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Yakubu picked Vincent Enyeama in goal, with Bright Osayi-Samuel, Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu and Celestine Babayaro forming his back four.
Sunday Oliseh and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha were selected in central midfield, while Julius Aghahowa and Finidi George occupied the wide positions. Up front, Yakubu picked himself alongside Nwankwo Kanu.
Osayi-Samuel, who did not make his Super Eagles debut until 2022, stood out as the only representative of the current generation in a team otherwise built around Nigeria’s celebrated 1990s and 2000s sides. The defender, who featured for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, previously played as a winger before transitioning to right-back during his time at Fenerbahce.
Enyeama’s selection between the posts came as little surprise, with the former Enyimba and Lille goalkeeper having earned 101 caps and appeared at three World Cups during a career widely regarded as one of the finest by an African shot-stopper. Yobo, also capped 101 times, featured at three World Cups and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, while Shittu made 32 appearances for Nigeria between 2002 and 2010, including at the 2010 World Cup. Babayaro, capped 27 times, played at the 1998 World Cup and enjoyed a long spell at Chelsea.
