Yakubu Names His Best Super Eagles Team, Leaves Out Yekini and Mikel

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has left out both Rashidi Yekini and John Obi Mikel. He revealed his greatest-ever Nigeria starting eleven in a video shared on the official Super Eagles account on X. Current player Victor Osimhen is also not in his choice, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Yakubu chose Vincent Enyeama as his goalkeeper. The back four includes Bright Osayi-Samuel, Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu, and Celestine Babayaro.

In central midfield, he picked Sunday Oliseh and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha. Julius Aghahowa and Finidi George are on the wings. Up front, Yakubu picked himself along with Nwankwo Kanu.

Osayi-Samuel, who made his Super Eagles debut in 2022, is the only current player in a team mostly featuring stars from Nigeria’s 1990s and 2000s. The defender played at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and switched from winger to right-back while at Fenerbahce.

Enyeama’s choice as goalkeeper is no surprise. The former Enyimba and Lille goalkeeper has 101 caps and played at three World Cups. He is considered one of the best African goalkeepers. Yobo, also with 101 caps, played at three World Cups and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Shittu earned 32 caps from 2002 to 2010, including at the 2010 World Cup. Babayaro, who has 27 caps, played at the 1998 World Cup and had a long career at Chelsea.

The midfield pair of Oliseh and Okocha is significant. Yakubu has said he believes Oliseh was a better midfielder than Mikel. This may explain why Mikel is not included, even though he won the 2013 Nations Cup and played 249 times in the Premier League. Okocha captained the Super Eagles at the 2002 World Cup. He earned 73 caps and scored 14 goals for Nigeria.

Aghahowa and Finidi are in the wide positions. Aghahowa is known for his acrobatic goal celebrations and scored twice against Senegal in the 2000 Nations Cup quarter-final. Finidi, who won the 1994 Nations Cup and reached the last-16 at the 1994 World Cup, is seen by many as Nigeria’s best right winger.

Kanu, a two-time African Footballer of the Year and Olympic gold medallist from Atlanta 1996, partnered with Yakubu in attack.

Yakubu is Nigeria’s fourth-highest all-time goalscorer. He scored 21 goals in 57 matches from 2000 to 2012. He is also Nigeria’s highest scorer in Premier League history, with 95 goals in 252 games for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers.

By picking himself and Kanu in attack, Yakubu did not include Osimhen. Osimhen is currently Nigeria’s second-highest all-time goalscorer, following Yekini, who holds the record for 13 Nations Cup goals.

Notably absent from Yakubu's list are Daniel Amokachi, Obafemi Martins, and Victor Ikpeba. Yekini’s omission stands out the most from a team filled with Nigerian football legends.