Super Eagles: 10 Nigerian Players Who Failed to Live Up to Expectations

The Super Eagles shirt carries both pride and pressure, with every new prospect seen as the next big star. Some shone brightly at youth tournaments, others had flashes of brilliance on the big stage, but for different reasons such as injuries, poor decisions, or lack of consistency, they never built the careers many imagined. 

Below, we look at 10 Nigerian players who promised so much but could not fully live up to expectations.

A standout goalkeeper for Nigeria at the Under-20 World Cup in 2005, when Samson Siasia’s team reached the final. He looked calm, confident and seemed destined to be the next big Super Eagles goalkeeper after Vincent Enyeama.

But his career never really took off. Instead of breaking into the senior team or moving abroad, Vanzekin spent most of his career playing in the Nigerian league with clubs like Sunshine Stars and Warri Wolves. 

He was part of the Under-23 squad at the Beijing 2008 Olympics but never became a regular for the Super Eagles. 

For someone who once looked like Nigeria’s long-term number one, his story is a reminder of how tough it is to stay at the top.

Once called the “new Jay-Jay Okocha” when he came through the ranks, Rabiu never made it to the top. 

As a teenager, he had incredible dribbling skills, vision, and composure on the ball. Big European clubs like Chelsea and Barcelona were said to be interested, and he eventually signed for Sporting Lisbon.

But things never worked out as Rabiu struggled for game time in Europe, moving from club to club in Portugal, Scotland, and Slovakia without truly establishing himself. Injuries and inconsistency also played a part. 

Though he won a few caps for the Super Eagles, he never came close to being the star many Nigerians thought he would be.

Emmanuel’s name is one Nigerian fans will never forget from the 2009 Under-17 World Cup hosted in Nigeria. 

He was the tournament’s Golden Ball winner and finished as top scorer, dazzling with his pace and goals. At the time, many believed he would become the next big Super Eagles striker.

But his story turned out very different. Moves to Europe failed, with trials at clubs like Lazio and Tottenham not leading to success. He struggled with injuries and later admitted to financial challenges and lack of support. 

For someone once seen as Nigeria’s brightest youth talent, his fall from the spotlight remains one of the saddest.

Haruna was part of the Golden Eaglets side that won the 2007 Under-17 World Cup, and his powerful midfield displays earned him a move to AS Monaco, where he was tipped to become one of the best Nigerian midfielders of his generation.

Although he made it to the 2010 World Cup with the Super Eagles, Haruna’s career began to decline after leaving Monaco. 

Stints in Ukraine and other lesser-known leagues followed, but he never improved as expected. He was once spoken of as a player who could dominate Nigeria’s midfield for years, but inconsistency and lack of growth saw him fade away too quickly.

Chrisantus burst onto the scene at the 2007 Under-17 World Cup, where he scored seven goals and won the Golden Boot. A move to Hamburg in Germany followed, and expectations were high. Nigerians thought they had found a striker who would succeed Yakubu and Obafemi Martins.

But Chrisantus struggled in Europe, spending most of his career moving across clubs in Spain, Turkey, and Greece without stability. 

He never made the expected impact with the Super Eagles and is now remembered as another youth star who could not make the step up to senior level.

Chidiebere, one part of the Nwakali brothers, was in the 2013 Under-17 World Cup-winning squad and earned a move to Manchester City. 

With his versatility in midfield and ability to control games, many saw him as a long-term Super Eagles prospect.

However, like many Nigerian youngsters signed by big English clubs, he never played a first-team game. 

Loan moves to Europe did not help his development, and he eventually drifted to lower leagues. Despite the bright start, Chidiebere could not fulfil his potential, and his name is now more associated with “what could have been” than success.

Mba wrote his name into Nigerian football history with his goals at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, including the winner in the final against Burkina Faso. 

That moment made him a national hero overnight, and Nigerians believed he would kick on to become a midfield leader for years.

Unfortunately, his career never really developed after that high point. Mba moved briefly to France but soon returned to play in the Nigerian league. 

He was never able to maintain the same level of performance, and his international career quickly faded. 

For a player who gave Nigerians one of their happiest football memories, his story shows how one moment of glory does not always lead to long-term greatness.

Oduamadi was once seen as the next big winger for the Super Eagles. Signed by AC Milan as a teenager, he had pace, skill, and the ability to take on defenders. 

He scored a memorable hat-trick for Nigeria against Tahiti at the 2013 Confederations Cup, raising hopes that he was ready to shine.

But his career stalled badly, with loan spells in Italy’s lower divisions and later moves to smaller leagues meant he never fulfilled the hype. 

For a player once linked with greatness at Milan, Oduamadi became another example of talent wasted.

Musa captained Nigeria’s Under-17 team to glory in 2013 and was highly rated as a right-back with great energy and attacking drive. He was tipped to be the long-term replacement for Nigeria’s ageing full-backs.

But his professional career did not take off. After joining Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey, he failed to break into the first team. Loan spells and moves to smaller clubs followed, and he quickly dropped off the radar. 

Kelechi, the other part of the Nwakali brothers, was the captain of the 2015 Under-17 World Cup-winning team and won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. 

His performances earned him a move to Arsenal, where he was tipped as a future midfield star.

However, work permit issues and repeated loan spells in Spain and the Netherlands disrupted his development. 

He struggled for consistency and never managed to break into Arsenal’s senior side. Though he has played for the Super Eagles, he has not become the world-class player many expected when he first burst onto the scene. He is now with English top-tier side Barnsley, who he joined this summer.