Nigeria national football team players: Did they qualify for the Olympics?

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The Nigeria national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, represents Nigeria in men's international football and is governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The team features a dynamic and talented squad comprising both seasoned players and rising stars. Discover who the Nigeria national football team players are.

Established in 1949, the Nigerian national football team is one of Africa's most successful football teams. The team has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times and qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times as of 2024. In February 2024, the Nigerian national football team was ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings. But did they qualify for the Olympics?

Did the Super Eagles qualify for the 2024 Olympics?

The Super Eagles, Nigeria's men's football team, did not qualify for the 2024 Olympic football tournament. However, the Super Falcons, Nigeria's women's national team, qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The Nigeria national football team is a member of FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Over the years, Nigeria has produced many talented footballers who have achieved success both domestically and globally. Learn more about the Nigerian football players below:

1. Stanley Nwabili

Stanley Nwabili in Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, South Africa (L). Stanley Nwabili in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire (R).

Full name: Stanley Bobbi 'Bobo' Nwabali
Date of birth: 10 June 1996
Place of birth: Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Position: Goalkeeper

Stanley Nwabili is a Nigerian professional football player who plays goalkeeper for the Nigerian national team and Premier Soccer League club Chippa. He has also played for numerous teams, including Go Round FC, Wikki Tourists, and Lobi Star.

2. Francis Uzoho

Francis Uzoho at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.

Full name: Francis Odinaka Uzoho
Date of birth: 28 October 1998
Place of birth: Nwangele, Nigeria
Position: Goalkeeper

Francis Odinaka Uzoho is a goalkeeper for Cypriot First Division club Omonia and the Nigeria national team. He was named in Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He has also played for various clubs, such as Omonia and APOEL FC.

3. Semi Ajayi

Semi Ajayi at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, England.

Full name: Oluwasemilogo Adesewo Ibidapo "Semi" Ajayi
Date of birth: 9 November 1993
Place of birth: Crayford, Dartford, United Kingdom
Position: Defender

Semi Ajayi is an English-Nigerian footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion and the Nigeria national team. He previously played for teams such as Crewe Alexandra, Rotherham United and AFC Wimbledon.

4. Calvin Bassey

Calvin Bassey at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.

Full name: Calvin Chinedu Bassey
Date of birth: 31 December 1999
Place of birth: Aosta, Italy
Position: Defender

Calvin Bassey plays as a left-back or centre-back for Premier League club Fulham and the Nigeria national team. He debuted with Nigeria on 25 March 2022 in a 0–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification tie with Ghana.

5. William Troost-Ekong

William Troost-Ekong at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Full name: William Paul Troost-Ekong
Date of birth: 1 September 1993
Place of birth: Haarlem, Netherlands
Position: Centre-back

William Paul Troost-Ekong plays as a centre-back for Super League Greece club PAOK and the Nigerian national team, where he is the captain. In June 2018, he was named in Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

6. Ola Aina

Ola Aina at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Full name: Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa "Ola" Aina
Date of birth: 8 October 1996
Place of birth: London Borough of Southwark, United Kingdom
Position: Full-back

Ola Aina is a full-back for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and the Nigeria national team. He has also represented England at under-16, under-17, under-18, under-19 and England under-20 levels.

7. Zaidu Sanusi

Zaidu Sanusi at Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Full name: Zaidu Muhammed Sanusi
Date of birth: 13 June 1997
Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
Position: Left-back

The Nigerian footballer plays left-back for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Nigerian national team. Sanusi made his senior international debut for Nigeria in 2020 and played at the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

8. Kenneth Omeruo

Kenneth Omeruo at Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian, Spain.

Full name: Kenneth Josiah Omeruo
Date of birth: 17 October 1993
Place of birth: Kaduna, Nigeria
Position: Defender

Kenneth Omeruo is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a defender for Süper Lig club Kasımpaşa and the Nigeria national team. He played for the Nigerian Under-20 team that reached the quarter-finals at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

9. Chidozie Awaziem

Chidozie Awaziem at Estadio Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain.

Full name: Chidozie Collins Awaziem
Date of birth: 1 January 1997
Place of birth: Enugu, Nigeria
Position: central defender

Chidozie Collins Awaziem is a central defender for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati and the Nigeria national team. He made his senior debut in the Nigeria national team on 1 June 2017 against Togo in Paris.

10. Benjamin Tanimu

Benjamin Tanimu in Marrakech, Morocco (L). Benjamin Tanimu posing for a picture in a Super Eagles' Jersey (R).

Full name: Benjamin Tanimu
Date of birth: 24 July 2002
Place of birth: Benin City, Nigeria
Position: Centre back

Benjamin Tanimu plays centre-back for the Nigeria national team and Bendel Insurance F.C. He gained attention after being called up to the Nigeria national team, the Super Eagles, for the first time for international friendlies against Mali and Ghana.

11. Jamilu Collins

Jamilu Collins in North Rhine-Westphalia, Paderborn.

Full name: Jamilu Collins
Date of birth: 5 August 1994
Place of birth: Kaduna, Nigeria
Position: Left back

Jamilu Collins is a professional football player for EFL Championship club Cardiff City and the Nigerian national team. He debuted for the Nigerian national team on 11 September 2018 in a friendly match against Liberia.

12. Bruno Onyemaechi

Bruno Onyemaechi at Estadio Municipal de Portimao in Portimao, Portugal.

Full name: Sopuruchukwu Bruno Onyemaechi
Date of birth: 3 April 1999
Place of birth: Owerri, Nigeria
Position: Left-back, centre-back

Bruno Onyemaechi plays for Boavista and the Nigeria national team. He first played for the Super Eagles on 10 September 2023 as a left-back against São Tomé and Príncipe.

13. Ismail Sodiq

Full name: Ismail Sodiq
Date of birth: 13 August 2003
Place of birth: Nigeria
Position: Right back

Sodiq Ismail is a Nigerian footballer who plays right wing-back for Remo Stars. His recent inclusion in the national team has been seen as a breakthrough moment for both him and his club.

14. Alex Iwobi

Alex Iwobi at Molineux in Wolverhampton, England.

Full name: Alexander Chuka Iwobi
Date of birth: 3 May 1996
Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
Position: Midfielder

The Nigerian footballer plays as a midfielder for the Premier League club Fulham and the Nigerian national team. He has also played for various notable football clubs, including Arsenal, Everton, and Fulham.

15. Frank Onyeka

Frank Onyeka at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Full name: Ogochukwu Frank Onyeka
Date of birth: 1 January 1998
Place of birth: Nigeria
Position: Defensive midfielder

The Nigerian soccer player is a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Brentford and the Nigeria national team. He debuted for the Nigeria national team in a friendly match against Algeria on 9 October 2020.

16. Bright Osayi-Samuel

Bright Osayi-Samuel of Fenerbahce in Istanbul, Turkiye on 29 July 2024.

Full name: Bright Osayi-Samuel
Date of birth: 31 December 1997
Place of birth: Okija, Nigeria
Position: Right-back

The English-Nigerian footballer plays as a right-back or winger for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe and the Nigeria national team. He was among the 25-man Nigerian squad that emerged runners-up at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

17. Samuel Chukwueze

Samuel Chukwueze at Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy.

Full name: Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze
Date of birth: 22 May 1999
Place of birth: Umuahia, Nigeria
Position: Right Midfielder

Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze debuted for the Nigerian senior team on 20 November 2018 against Uganda. He plays right winger for the team and the Serie A club AC Milan. He played for Villarreal from 2018 to 2023.

18. Wilfred Ndidi

Wilfred Ndidi at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.

Full name: Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi
Date of birth: 16 December 1996
Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
Position: Defensive midfielder

Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi is a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Leicester City and the Nigeria national team. Known for his defensive prowess, Ndidi joined the national team in October 2015. He formerly played for Genk from 2015 to 2017.

19. Raphael Onyedika

Full name: Raphael Onyedika Nwadike
Date of birth: 19 April 2001
Place of birth: Imo, Nigeria
Position: Midfielder

Raphael Onyedika currently plays for Belgian club Club Brugge and the Nigeria national team. He has been playing for the national team since 2022. He signed a five-year contract with Club Brugge in Belgium on 28 August 2022.

20. Alhassan Yusuf

Alhassan Yusuf at the Bosuil Stadium in Antwerp, Belgium.

Full name: Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi Pigui
Date of birth: 18 July 2000
Place of birth: Kano, Nigeria
Position: Midfielder

Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi Pigui plays for Belgian First Division A club Royal Antwerp and the Nigeria national team. He has played for football clubs, including IFK Göteborg and Antwerp. Alhassan made his AFCON debut against Equatorial Guinea on 14 January 2024.

21. Joe Aribo

Joe Aribo at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.

Full name: Joseph Oluwaseyi Temitope Ayodele-Aribo
Date of birth: 21 July 1996
Place of birth: Camberwell, London, United Kingdom
Position: Midfielder

Joe Aribo is an English-Nigerian football player for Premier League club Southampton and the Nigeria national team. He commenced his club career at Staines Town and has since played for numerous other clubs, such as Charlton Athletic and Rangers.

22. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

Fisayo Dele-Bashiru at Deva Stadium in Chester, England.

Full name: Oluwafisayo Faruq Dele-Bashiru
Date of birth: 6 February 2001
Place of birth: Hamburg, Germany
Position: Midfielder

Oluwafisayo Faruq Dele-Bashiru is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Lazio on loan from Turkish side Hatayspor. He made his senior debut on 5 September 2020 in the EFL Cup and has been playing for the Nigeria national team since 2023.

23. Ibrahim Olawoyin

Full name: Ibrahim Olawoyin
Date of birth: 1 December 1997
Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
Position: Attacking midfielder

Ibrahim Olawoyin is an attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club Çaykur Rizespor and the Nigeria national football team. He previously played for the Abia Comets, Abia Warriors, Rangers International and Ankara Keçiörengücü.

24. Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal.

Full name: Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman
Date of birth: 20 October 1997
Place of birth: Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
Position: Left winger

The English-Nigerian footballer plays for Serie A club Atalanta and the Nigerian national team. He made his senior debut in 2015, playing for Charlton Athletic, and has since played for numerous other teams, such as Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham, and Leicester City.

25. Moses Simon

Moses Simon at Stade Roumde Adjia in Garoua on 15 January 2022.

Full name: Moses Daddy-Ajala Simon
Date of birth: 12 July 1995
Place of birth: Jos, Nigeria
Position: Left winger

Moses Simon is a forward or left winger for Ligue 1 club Nantes and the Nigeria national team. He made his in the Super Eagles on 25 March 2015 in an international friendly match against Uganda. Before that, he played for Trenčín, Gent and Levante.

26. Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Full name: Victor James Osimhen
Date of birth: 29 December 1998
Place of birth: Lagos, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Victor Osimhen plays for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigeria national team. He is widely considered among the best players in the world and is recognised for his elite finishing, pace, strength and athleticism. He has represented the Super Eagles since 2017 and has also played for numerous international football teams, including VfL Wolfsburg and Charleroi.

27. Kelechi Iheanacho

Kelechi Iheanacho in Yessentuki, Russia.

Full name: Kelechi Promise Iheanacho
Date of birth: 3 October 1996
Place of birth: Imo, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Kelechi Iheanacho has represented the Nigeria national football team for almost ten years since 2015. He last played for Premier League club Leicester City and will leave the club as a free agent in July 2024. He also played for Manchester City between 2015 and 2017.

28. Paul Onuachu

Paul Ebere Onuachu at the Stade du Pays in Charleroi, Belgium.

Full name: Ebere Paul Onuachu
Date of birth: 28 May 1994
Place of birth: Owerri, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Paul Onuachu is a Nigerian professional soccer player for Premier League club Southampton and the Nigeria national team. He was voted Belgian Footballer of the Year and won the country's top-scoring Golden Bull trophy.

29. Terem Moffi

Terem Moffi at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Full name: Teremas Igobor Moffi
Date of birth: 25 May 1999
Place of birth: Calabar, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Terem Moffi has played for the Nigerian national football team since 2021. He debuted with the Super Eagles on 4 June 2021 during a match against Cameroon. Terem also plays for Ligue 1 club Nice, where he has played since 2023.

30. Umar Sadiq

Umar Sadiq at Estadi de Son Moix in Mallorca, Spain.

Full name: Umar Sadiq Mesbah
Date of birth: 2 February 1997
Place of birth: Kaduna, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Umar Sadiq is a striker for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Nigeria national team. He previously represented the Nigeria national under-23 team and was part of the squad that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

31. Cyriel Dessers

Cyriel Dessers at Estadio Benito Villamarin in Seville, Spain.

Full name: Cyriel Kolawole Dessers
Date of birth: 8 December 1994
Place of birth: Tongeren, Belgium
Position: Centre forward

Cyriel Kolawole Dessers is a professional footballer who is a forward for Scottish Premiership club Rangers and the Nigeria national team. He made his senior international debut in October 2020 in a friendly match with Tunisia.

32. Victor Boniface

Victor Boniface at the BayArena in Leverkusen, western Germany.

Full name: Victor Okoh Boniface
Date of birth: 23 December 2000
Place of birth: Akure, Nigeria
Position: Centre forward

Victor Boniface is a striker for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Nigeria national team. He is well-known for his pace, strength, dribbling ability, finishing and work ethic. Boniface made his debut for the Nigeria senior team on 10 September 2023.

33. Ahmed Musa

Ahmed Musa at Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Full name: Ahmed Musa
Date of birth: 14 October 1992
Place of birth: Jos, Nigeria
Position: Right winger

Musa has represented the Nigeria national team internationally since 2010. He began his career in the GBS Football Academy and has since played for various clubs, such as Leicester City, Al Nassr and Fatih Karagümrük. He last played as a forward and Winger for Sivasspor.

Finidi George, a former football player, is the current head coach of the Nigeria national football team. He replaced Jose Peseiro and was officially unveiled in May 2024.

William Troost-Ekong is the captain of the Nigerian national football team. He has led the team through several major tournaments, including the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the World Cup qualifiers.

How many gold medals has Nigeria won in the Olympics?

The nation has won a total of three gold medals in the history of the Olympics. They include:

1996 – Men's Football (Atlanta Olympics)
1996 – Chioma Ajunwa in Women's Long Jump (Atlanta Olympics)
2000 – Women's 4x400m Relay Team (Sydney Olympics)

Most of these Nigerian national football team players have gone on to play for various international teams that compete in the UEFA Europa League, Spanish La Liga, Bundesliga, and English Premier League. They have also represented the nation in various tournaments, including the AFCON and World Cup.

Legit.ng recently published an article about the fastest soccer players. Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. The game is partly about athleticism; players must be mentally and physically fit to excel in the sport. And one of the critical attributes of a player is speed.

Speed is one of the most crucial qualities of a footballer when putting together a team. The fastest players outplay opponents and are hired by the best clubs. Most football stars are fast players regardless of their position as defenders, strikers, or midfield fielders. Discover some of the fastest soccer players with lightning speed.

Source: Legit.ng

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