Aiyegbeni Snubs Yekini, Mikel in Greatest Eagles XI

Ayomikun Elemikan

August 14, 2026
3 min read
Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has unveiled his greatest-ever Nigeria starting eleven, making headlines by controversially omitting legendary forward Rashidi Yekini and decorated midfielder John Obi Mikel. Current national team talisman Victor Osimhen was also notably excluded from the selection.

In a video shared on the official Super Eagles X account, Yakubu selected a team predominantly built around Nigeria’s celebrated 1990s and 2000s sides, with only one current player making the cut.

Yakubu chose Vincent Enyeama in goal, a largely expected decision given the former Enyimba and Lille goalkeeper’s 101 caps and appearances at three World Cups, widely cementing him as one of Africa’s finest shot-stoppers.

The back four consisted of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu, and Celestine Babayaro. Osayi-Samuel stood out as the sole representative of the modern generation.

The defender, who featured at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, made his international debut in 2022, over a decade after Yakubu’s final appearance. Yobo, heavily decorated with 101 caps and a 2013 AFCON title, partnered Shittu in central defence, flanked by former Chelsea star Babayaro on the left.

In central midfield, Yakubu opted for the formidable pairing of Sunday Oliseh and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha. This selection carries particular weight, as Yakubu has previously stated his firm belief that Oliseh was a superior midfielder to Mikel.

This stance helps explain the absence of the former Chelsea anchor, despite Mikel’s 2013 Nations Cup triumph and his 249 Premier League appearances.

Julius Aghahowa and Finidi George were chosen to occupy the wide positions. Aghahowa is fondly remembered for his acrobatic celebrations, while Finidi, a 1994 Nations Cup winner, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s finest-ever right wingers.

Up front, Yakubu boldly picked himself to partner with two-time African Footballer of the Year and Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist Nwankwo Kanu.

Yakubu himself remains Nigeria’s fourth-highest all-time goalscorer with 21 goals in 57 appearances. He also holds the distinct record as Nigeria’s most prolific player in Premier League history, netting 95 goals across stints with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers.

However, by selecting himself, he completely overlooked Osimhen, the current second-highest all-time goalscorer, and Yekini, whose 13 Nations Cup goals remain an unbroken national record.

Other prominent absentees from Yakubu’s historical squad include Daniel Amokachi, Obafemi Martins, and Victor Ikpeba, with Yekini’s omission standing out as the most striking exclusion from a team otherwise steeped in Nigerian football history.