Comparing Nigerian Players to Iconic Stars

People often wonder if any of Nigeria's  players will compare favorably with players of the past. In a previous article, we noted metrics for making such a comparison and it can be found via: http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2017/07/applying-some-measurables-nigerias-goat.html .  While- the objective is not to use those metrics here, it is important to bear them in mind.

The task here, however, is to see how Victor Osimhen, Maduka Okoye, and Wilfred Ndidi stack up against stars of the past. This we can compare, at the very least, statistically.

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He is not in the league of Rashidi Yekini, Thompson Usiyan, or Segun Odegbami who all scored at a greater clip than Osimhen has thus far. 

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Victor Osimhen is the Nigerian player to have attracted the highest transfer fee in club football but has his international play solidified him as Nigeria's best ever striker? Many will say No. Surely, there is no question that he may be on his way to becoming the best striker that Nigeria has ever produced but statistically he is not yet there! Not by a mile!! He is not in the league of Rashidi Yekini, Thompson Usiyan, or Segun Odegbami who all scored at a greater clip than Osimhen has thus far. Stylistically, he poses a far constant danger than Odegbami did but certainly not yet in the league of either Yekini or Usiyan in terms of constant danger to the opposition. 

One of the other players we take a look at is Maduka Okoye. Thus far he is vaunted as the Nigerian goalkeeper to play at a reputed European league. However, his performances for Nigeria have been less stellar. His output is below the great Nigerian goalkeepers such as Vincent Enyeama and Peter Rufai. Those two may not have, except arguably Rufai, played at a reputed European league but Okoye fails in comparison to them.

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Ndidi's current stats are better than those of Mikel Obi and Sunday Oliseh in areas measured. The only place where he sorely lacks is occasional scoring. 

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How about Wilfred Ndidi? He has been put forward as the future skipper of the super Eagles and he has been perhaps the most consistent performer in his era. However, is he worthy of being consider all-time? How do his stats compare with those of Sunday Oliseh who is the hallmark of All-time defensive midfielders for Nigeria? How about comparing Ndidi to Mikel Obi? Well, we use the stats available to us to compare those three. Ndidi's current stats are better than those of Mikel Obi and Sunday Oliseh in areas measured. The only place where he sorely lacks is occasional scoring. He is still to record a goal in 48 games for Nigeria. However, even on that account one must asterisk Mikel Obi's scoring rate here because Obi played as attacking midfielder on occasion for Nigeria.

You may argue that  most of the icons did not play against similar opposition as today's players but such a point is not persuasive given that Nigeria has maintained relatively similar stature in African football during the era of all players being compared here and thus their performances should be comparable.


GOALKEEPERS

P=played: W=won: T=Tied: L=Lost: Eff=Team Efficiency: CoR=Conceding rate: CS=Cleansheets: CSR= Cleansheet rate.

MADUKA OKOYE

P13   W6    T5    L4      Eff.0.51   CoR0.90   CS8   CSR0.53

VINCENT ENYEAMA

P101   W52    T32   L17    Eff.0.62   CoR0.73   CS50   CSR0.50

EMMANUEL OKALA

P51   W29    T13    L9    Eff.0.48   CoR0.88   CS24   CSR0.47

PETER RUFAI

P68   W28    T23    L17    Eff.0.53   CoR0.74   CS38   CSR0.56











DEFENSIVE MIDFELDERS

P=played: W=won: T=Tied: L=Lost: Eff.=Team Efficiency: CoR=Conceding rate: ScR=Scoring rate.

WILFRED NDIDI

P48   W31   T6    L11   Eff.0.69     CoR0.79     ScR0.00

SUNDAY OLISEH

P55   W31   T12    L12   Eff.0.64     CoR0.83     ScR0.06

MIKEL OBI

P78   W36   T26    L16   Eff.0.57     CoR0.81     ScR0.06














STRIKERS

P=played: W=won: T=Tied: L=Lost: Eff.=Team Efficiency: GLs=Goals  GLr=Goal rate.

VICTOR OSIMHEN

P21   W10   T8    L3   Eff.0.60     GLs10    GLr0.48

RASHIDI YEKINI

P65   W29   T19    L17   Eff.0.54     GLs37    GLr0.57

THOMPSON USIYAN

P26   W14   T7    L5   Eff.0.63     GLs15    GLr0.58

SEGUN ODEGBAMI

P48   W22   T17    L9   Eff.0.58     GLs24    GLr0.50



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