Book:Ranked Nigeria’s best 55 players ever

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

The reputation of Thompson Usiyan is mostly mythical. Can anyone produce his actual stats for Nigeria. How many games did play for Nigeria and how many goals did he score? Why is he being picked over Yakubu who has a more verifiable record and pedigree? Usiyan spent his professional career mostly in the North American Soccer and other indoor and outdoor semi pro leagues. all predecessors of the MLS and pretty crappy leagues. So without any apologies, my top 5 are:

1. Rashidi Yekini
2. Ikechuwku Uche
3. Obafemi Martins
4. Ahmed Musa
5. Yakubu Aiyegbeni


Cheers.

[john12]

Ahmed Musa 4? Tony, you’re absolutely MAD and delusional. The only man to have scored 4 goals at he World Cup for Nigeria is rated as our 4th best striker? You’re not serious and you must realize that almost all the strikers you listed had the same opportunity as musa at World Cup and couldn’t deliver

[Enugu II]

The reputation of Thompson Usiyan is mostly mythical. Can anyone produce his actual stats for Nigeria. How many games did play for Nigeria and how many goals did he score? Why is he being picked over Yakubu who has a more verifiable record and pedigree? Usiyan spent his professional career mostly in the North American Soccer and other indoor and outdoor semi pro leagues. all predecessors of the MLS and pretty crappy leagues. So without any apologies, my top 5 are:

1. Rashidi Yekini
2. Ikechuwku Uche
3. Obafemi Martins
4. Ahmed Musa
5. Yakubu Aiyegbeni


Cheers.

TTTK,

Bros, sometimes you post stuff that seems like you have followed the game for a long time and sometimes it feels like you have not. Which one of the assumptions is correct? To place Ogidi Ibeabuchi before Kunle Awesu? and then Nwadioha and Ifeanyi Onyedika before Usiyan? Man, that should have guys roll in laughter. I can understand if the talents were even close. Case in point, if Ibeabuchi was that good how come he never was considered even reserve No. 11 for Nigeria during his era. If Onyedika and Nwadioha were that good how come they did not dominate the NT in their era. That ought to tell you something. BTW, I love Nwadioha. After all he will be my top guy for my eternal favorite club Vasco da Gama. But for Nigeria? Naaaaah not even close.

There are actual stats for Thunder Balogun and everyone that has played for Nigeria since 1949. There is no stats for Yak that you have concerning his NIgerian career that is not also available concerning Usiyan's career. Usiyan was great Nigerian player who has to be considered for all time. IMHO, if both Usiyan and Onyeali had played longer they definitely would challenge Yekini's place in Nigeria's history books going by their scoring trajectories. Unfortunately, both left quite early to pursue further education. Till date, the ratio of goals per game for Onyeali is unchallenged by anyone in Nigerian national team soccer history. Nigerian soccer did not begin in 1990 but in 1949 and thus an all time team must consider that length of history.

Perhaps, in 2045 we will have a 15 year old Nigerian claim that one Ikechukwu Ahmadu who has just scored 10 goals in 60 games for Nigeria is the best all time because the 15-year old never saw Yekini play. Right?

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

EII, first of all, thanks for posting the stats. What is your source? I ask because the stats on most of the listed players are not publicly available. Most of the info I found on Yekini have him at 58 appearances and 37 goals. Similarly, Thunder Balogun is given credit for 12 years of football with the national team; no indication of appearances or goals scored. In the case of Thompson Usiyan, while there is plenty of info about his career in the US, there is virtually nothing about his tenure with the Green Eagles. What’s available indicates that he played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1978 which corresponds roughly with what I recall from memory. It is true that he was brought back in 1981 for the Algeria debacle during which he didn’t score any goals. Given all that, I find it difficult to reconcile his 2-year tenure with 26 appearances and 15 goals. Finally, I’ve already indicated that national team appearances is not the only basis for my rankings. Club performance is very important to me as well


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

TTTK,

You have asked me for a source? The source is my own research and data meticulously collected from high school days and then supplemented with years of Nigerian football research at the US Library of Congress. I have not relied on memory as memory can play games on you. Instead, I have relied on a database that includes virtually every person who has played in an official game for the Nigerian NT since the first game against Sierra Leone in 1949. In fact, it is possible that the sources that you will encounter in the web or anywhere else on Nigerian football come from my own research. Thus, I serve as source for work by other scholars on Nigerian NT football studies.

The info you have on Yekini is wrong as he has definitely played in more than 58 games for which dates, minutes played, opponents, etc have been meticulously collected. It is like the claim that Yobo played 101 games for Nigeria, which I provided ample data to demonstrate to several in the Nigerian media that Yobo had played 100 and not 101 games. The error stems from media addition of a game v Lesotho in Warri that Yobo had not played. BTW, the record of Balogun's NT games as well as record of others are meticulously kept.

On Usiyan's record, send me a PM with your email address and I can provide you with Thompson Usiyan's full Nigerian NT record.

I will not debate much on your consideration of club records. I will only offer a comment on logic. For me, I think the NT record is primary considering that a player dominant at his club should have been an NT player during his time because belonging to an All Time team presumes that the player was THE DOMINANT player at his position AT THE VERY LEAST during his era.

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

EII, first of all, thanks for posting the stats. What is your source? I ask because the stats on most of the listed players are not publicly available. Most of the info I found on Yekini have him at 58 appearances and 37 goals. Similarly, Thunder Balogun is given credit for 12 years of football with the national team; no indication of appearances or goals scored. In the case of Thompson Usiyan, while there is plenty of info about his career in the US, there is virtually nothing about his tenure with the Green Eagles. What’s available indicates that he played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1978 which corresponds roughly with what I recall from memory. It is true that he was brought back in 1981 for the Algeria debacle during which he didn’t score any goals. Given all that, I find it difficult to reconcile his 2-year tenure with 26 appearances and 15 goals. Finally, I’ve already indicated that national team appearances is not the only basis for my rankings. Club performance is very important to me as well


Cheers.

[FATHER TIKO]

TTTK,

You have asked me for a source? The source is my own research and data meticulously collected from high school days and then supplemented with years of Nigerian football research at the US Library of Congress. I have not relied on memory as memory can play games on you. Instead, I have relied on a database that includes virtually every person who has played in an official game for the Nigerian NT since the first game against Sierra Leone in 1949. In fact, it is possible that the sources that you will encounter in the web or anywhere else on Nigerian football come from my own research. Thus, I serve as source for work by other scholars on Nigerian NT football studies.

The info you have on Yekini is wrong as he has definitely played in more than 58 games for which dates, minutes played, opponents, etc have been meticulously collected. It is like the claim that Yobo played 101 games for Nigeria, which I provided ample data to demonstrate to several in the Nigerian media that Yobo had played 100 and not 101 games. The error stems from media addition of a game v Lesotho in Warri that Yobo had not played. BTW, the record of Balogun's NT games as well as record of others are meticulously kept.

On Usiyan's record, send me a PM with your email address and I can provide you with Thompson Usiyan's full Nigerian NT record.

I will not debate much on your consideration of club records. I will only offer a comment on logic. For me, I think the NT record is primary considering that a player dominant at his club should have been an NT player during his time because belonging to an All Time team presumes that the player was THE DOMINANT player at his position AT THE VERY LEAST during his era.

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

EII, first of all, thanks for posting the stats. What is your source? I ask because the stats on most of the listed players are not publicly available. Most of the info I found on Yekini have him at 58 appearances and 37 goals. Similarly, Thunder Balogun is given credit for 12 years of football with the national team; no indication of appearances or goals scored. In the case of Thompson Usiyan, while there is plenty of info about his career in the US, there is virtually nothing about his tenure with the Green Eagles. What’s available indicates that he played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1978 which corresponds roughly with what I recall from memory. It is true that he was brought back in 1981 for the Algeria debacle during which he didn’t score any goals. Given all that, I find it difficult to reconcile his 2-year tenure with 26 appearances and 15 goals. Finally, I’ve already indicated that national team appearances is not the only basis for my rankings. Club performance is very important to me as well


Cheers.

TTT,
There is high probability that Enugu II's data is accurate...
While I didn't carry out any methodical research (I'm not as studious as Enugu II ), I can recall from memory that it is highly probable that Usiyan made 26 appearances for the GEagles between 1976-78...
Unless there is disagreement about the plausibility of the NT playing a minimum of 26 games during that time frame (include friendlies also...I can recall the NT played about 10 friendlies as warm-up to the botched Montreal Olympics...)
If there is agreement that there is high probability that the GEagles played a minimum of 26 games between 1976-78, then there is high probability that Usiyan notched up 26 appearances (given the fact Usiyan was the bona fide top 9)

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

TTTK,

You have asked me for a source? The source is my own research and data meticulously collected from high school days and then supplemented with years of Nigerian football research at the US Library of Congress. I have not relied on memory as memory can play games on you. Instead, I have relied on a database that includes virtually every person who has played in an official game for the Nigerian NT since the first game against Sierra Leone in 1949. In fact, it is possible that the sources that you will encounter in the web or anywhere else on Nigerian football come from my own research. Thus, I serve as source for work by other scholars on Nigerian NT football studies.

The info you have on Yekini is wrong as he has definitely played in more than 58 games for which dates, minutes played, opponents, etc have been meticulously collected. It is like the claim that Yobo played 101 games for Nigeria, which I provided ample data to demonstrate to several in the Nigerian media that Yobo had played 100 and not 101 games. The error stems from media addition of a game v Lesotho in Warri that Yobo had not played. BTW, the record of Balogun's NT games as well as record of others are meticulously kept.

On Usiyan's record, send me a PM with your email address and I can provide you with Thompson Usiyan's full Nigerian NT record.

I will not debate much on your consideration of club records. I will only offer a comment on logic. For me, I think the NT record is primary considering that a player dominant at his club should have been an NT player during his time because belonging to an All Time team presumes that the player was THE DOMINANT player at his position AT THE VERY LEAST during his era.

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

EII, first of all, thanks for posting the stats. What is your source? I ask because the stats on most of the listed players are not publicly available. Most of the info I found on Yekini have him at 58 appearances and 37 goals. Similarly, Thunder Balogun is given credit for 12 years of football with the national team; no indication of appearances or goals scored. In the case of Thompson Usiyan, while there is plenty of info about his career in the US, there is virtually nothing about his tenure with the Green Eagles. What’s available indicates that he played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1978 which corresponds roughly with what I recall from memory. It is true that he was brought back in 1981 for the Algeria debacle during which he didn’t score any goals. Given all that, I find it difficult to reconcile his 2-year tenure with 26 appearances and 15 goals. Finally, I’ve already indicated that national team appearances is not the only basis for my rankings. Club performance is very important to me as well


Cheers.

TTT,
There is high probability that Enugu II's data is accurate...
While I didn't carry out any methodical research (I'm not as studious as Enugu II ), I can recall from memory that it is highly probable that Usiyan made 26 appearances for the GEagles between 1976-78...
Unless there is disagreement about the plausibility of the NT playing a minimum of 26 games during that time frame (include friendlies also...I can recall the NT played about 10 friendlies as warm-up to the botched Montreal Olympics...)
If there is agreement that there is high probability that the GEagles played a minimum of 26 games between 1976-78, then there is high probability that Usiyan notched up 26 appearances (given the fact Usiyan was the bona fide top 9)

I was on ground at the time. They didn’t play 10 friendlies; not even if you include the impromptu scrimmages against Nigerian clubsides.


Cheers.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

TTTK,

You have asked me for a source? The source is my own research and data meticulously collected from high school days and then supplemented with years of Nigerian football research at the US Library of Congress. I have not relied on memory as memory can play games on you. Instead, I have relied on a database that includes virtually every person who has played in an official game for the Nigerian NT since the first game against Sierra Leone in 1949. In fact, it is possible that the sources that you will encounter in the web or anywhere else on Nigerian football come from my own research. Thus, I serve as source for work by other scholars on Nigerian NT football studies.

The info you have on Yekini is wrong as he has definitely played in more than 58 games for which dates, minutes played, opponents, etc have been meticulously collected. It is like the claim that Yobo played 101 games for Nigeria, which I provided ample data to demonstrate to several in the Nigerian media that Yobo had played 100 and not 101 games. The error stems from media addition of a game v Lesotho in Warri that Yobo had not played. BTW, the record of Balogun's NT games as well as record of others are meticulously kept.

On Usiyan's record, send me a PM with your email address and I can provide you with Thompson Usiyan's full Nigerian NT record.

I will not debate much on your consideration of club records. I will only offer a comment on logic. For me, I think the NT record is primary considering that a player dominant at his club should have been an NT player during his time because belonging to an All Time team presumes that the player was THE DOMINANT player at his position AT THE VERY LEAST during his era.

EII, it would help if you post Usinyan’s stats. I haven’t been able to find his stats myself but from memory, I recall that he didn’t play long enough or score enough goals to beat out the Yak in the top 5. Regarding the pair of Nwadioha and Onyedika, I did not place them ahead of Usiyan. I reacted to a rather lengthy list of about 15 players purported to be the best strikers in Nigerian football history by insisting that the pair ought to be on it and I stand by that. As for Ogidi, we can agree to disagree


Cheers.

TTK,

Here are NT stats for some of the guys mentioned already. Both Onyedika and Nwadioha cannot be on the top 10 of Nigerian strikers if we are to use NT stats. I can list about 10 strikers that would have better stats. Same on Ogidi on the left. Several guys who played there with better stats. In any case, here are some guys already mentioned:

[Years -- Apps --Goals -- G/per gm]

Rashidi Yekini [15 -- 65 -- 37 --0.57]
Yakubu Aiyegbeni [12 -- 58 -- 21 -- 0.36]
Thompson Usiyan [6 -- 26 --15 -- 0.58]
Elkanah Onyeali [3 --14 -- 11 -- 0.79]
Ifeanyi Onyedika [2 --11 -- 3 -- 0.27]
John Nwadioha [4 -- 10 -- 2 -- 0.20]
Ogidi Ibeabuchi [2 -- 4 -- 0 -- 0.00]
Kunle Awesu [2 -- 13 -- 1 -- 0.08]
Thunder Balogun [12 --8 --2 --0.25]

**Please note that Usiyan played regularly for two years before leaving. He bids listed for 6 years here based on the fact that he was later recalled from the USA to play in a few games.
***Note that Thunder Balogun's stats show that he played for 12 years but note that in Thunder's first few games for Nigeria, Nigeria was playing just one game every two years in the Jalco Cup against Ghana.

EII, first of all, thanks for posting the stats. What is your source? I ask because the stats on most of the listed players are not publicly available. Most of the info I found on Yekini have him at 58 appearances and 37 goals. Similarly, Thunder Balogun is given credit for 12 years of football with the national team; no indication of appearances or goals scored. In the case of Thompson Usiyan, while there is plenty of info about his career in the US, there is virtually nothing about his tenure with the Green Eagles. What’s available indicates that he played for Nigeria between 1976 and 1978 which corresponds roughly with what I recall from memory. It is true that he was brought back in 1981 for the Algeria debacle during which he didn’t score any goals. Given all that, I find it difficult to reconcile his 2-year tenure with 26 appearances and 15 goals. Finally, I’ve already indicated that national team appearances is not the only basis for my rankings. Club performance is very important to me as well


Cheers.

EII, I commend you for your diligent effort in attempting to compile an accurate history of Nigerian football. I am not in a position to refute any of your claims regarding the above mentioned players because I simply don’t have the information or numbers to the contrary.

With the exception of Usiyan and Balogun, all the listed players have a yearly appearance average of less than 7 appearances, the vast majority having around 4 per year. Being a professional mathematician and given the laws of probability, the two extremely divergent averages are a bit of a hard-sell. Usiyan essentially had 13 appearances a year for two years which is theoretically, highly improbable. Similarly, 8 appearances in 12 years for arguably the best known Nigerian footballer of all time is hard to swallow.

It said that education and the acquisition of new information is an ongoing process and I am most certainly not averse to learning new things so, I have already sent you a PM with my email address. Thanks again for the offer.

Regarding your preference for national team performance as the primary criterion for ranking our football players, I really can’t quarrel with that either because it is your preference. However, do bear in mind that every year, the Ballon d’Or and African footballer of the year awards are handed out, not on the basis of national team performance but mostly on the basis of club performance. Indeed Egypt, in spite of having dominated AFCON, no Egyptian player, including the legendary Mohammed Aboutrika, won the African award until last year when Mohammed Salah won it on the basis of his outstanding performance for Liverpool


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

Tony,

The data should be in your email box by now.

On the probabilities mentioned above, I hope you factored in that Usiyan was overseas for a while and was only called back for a crucial game after not playing at all for the NT in 1980? Also, that you factored in for Balogun the infrequency of internationals during most of his career. That should resolve what you think are anomalies.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Tony,

The data should be in your email box by now.

On the probabilities mentioned above, I hope you factored in that Usiyan was overseas for a while and was only called back for a crucial game after not playing at all for the NT in 1980? Also, that you factored in for Balogun the infrequency of internationals during most of his career. That should resolve what you think are anomalies.

Thanks again


Cheers.

[FATHER TIKO]

TTT,
There is high probability that Enugu II's data is accurate...
While I didn't carry out any methodical research (I'm not as studious as Enugu II ), I can recall from memory that it is highly probable that Usiyan made 26 appearances for the GEagles between 1976-78...
Unless there is disagreement about the plausibility of the NT playing a minimum of 26 games during that time frame (include friendlies also...I can recall the NT played about 10 friendlies as warm-up to the botched Montreal Olympics...)
If there is agreement that there is high probability that the GEagles played a minimum of 26 games between 1976-78, then there is high probability that Usiyan notched up 26 appearances (given the fact Usiyan was the bona fide top 9)

I was on ground at the time. They didn’t play 10 friendlies; not even if you include the impromptu scrimmages against Nigerian clubsides.


Cheers.

I was on ground too...
While I cannot recall the details of the GEagles preparatory friendlies for the Montreal Olympics, I vividly remember part of the programme was a 6-Nation European tour (the tale was told then about certain games cancelled because most European national teams scoffed playing against an "African nation"; resulting in modest European clubsides being drafted in as replacement)

I'm sure if we add up the 6-Nation Euro tour, the pre-Olympics friendlies after the squad landed in Canada (one of the games in Canada was against Colombia in which the GEagles won 3-0...Usiyan was MOTM...), plus the "impromptu scrimmages against Nigerian clubsides.." e never reach 10 friendlies..?