Ranked! Celestine Babayaro, Taye Taiwo Named in 7 Greatest Nigerian Left Backs

• Celestine Babayaro, who played for Chelsea Football Club, has been named Nigeria's greatest left-back
• Ben Iroha and Taye Taiwo are named in the second and third positions, respectively
• Players who take up roles in the defence have a much greater influence over the qualify of a squad

Nigeria has produced some of the finest footballers from the African continent, with some of these stars playing from the left-back position.

Partnering in the defence is such a special task that only intelligent players could take up such responsibility.

In modern football, fullbacks have a much greater influence over defensive shape, ball retention, and attacking strategy.

Soccer Coaching Pro reports that positioning and awareness are essential for an effective left-back. They must be in the right place at the right time to cut out any danger or receive a pass from a teammate.

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Here we look at the seven greatest Nigerian left-backs of all time:

7. Bright Omokaro

Also known as ‘Ten Ten’, Bright Omokaro and Sunday Eboibge were known as ‘The Destroyers’.

He was a member of Bendel Insurance during the club’s glorious days. Omokaro earned a call-up to the national youth team in 1978, and two years later, he was called up into the Super Eagles.

Omokaro represented Nigeria in two World Cup qualifying campaigns, the 1988 African Cup of Nations and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

He also featured for New Nigerian Bank FC, helping the club to the WAFU Nations Cup titles in 1983 & 1984 and the league title in 1985.

The defender also played for clubs like ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan Ivory Coast, ACB Lagos, Flash Flamingoes FC, Abiola Babes and Shooting Stars SC where he won the Nigerian Premier League in 1995.

6. Ifeanyi Udeze

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During his playing days, he was Super Eagles' second-choice left-back to former Chelsea left-back Celestine Babayaro, and sometimes the pair started together with the other on the right.

He featured at the 2002 FIFA World Cup with the Super Eagles, earning 35 caps for the Nigerian national team before retiring.

He also played for several clubs outside the country, including Kavala, PAOK, West Bromwich Albion and AEK.

At the 2002 African Cup of Nations held in Mali, he was selected among the CAF Team of the Tournament.

5. Elderson Echiejile

“Echiejile remain the only experienced and natural left back we have in the National team,” former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia told brila.net.

The defender had stints in Belgium, Finland and France, with a relatively successful spell at Monaco.

Echiejile was a member of the Nigerian under-20 team at the 2007 FIFA World Cup in Canada. He was part of the Stephen Keshi side that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

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He made 59 appearances for the Nigerian national team and scored two goals. He remains one of the greatest left-backs to ever feature for Nigeria.

4. Yisa Shofoluwe

The brilliant defender won 40 caps and scored one goal for Nigeria between 1983 and 1988, playing at the 1984 and 1988 African Nations Cups.

Many branded him as the ‘Defence Minister’. He was so good at helping goalkeepers keep clean sheets during matches.

He featured for the now-defunct Abiola Babes of Abeokuta, IICC of Ibadan and Gateway United F.C. of Abeokuta.

Sofoluwe died in Lagos on February 9, 2021, at age 53.

3. Taye Taiwo

Regarded as one of Nigeria’s best defenders, Taye Taiwo was famous for scoring free kicks. After impressive spells with local clubs Gabros and Lobi Stars, the left-back was snapped up by French club Marseille.

He also had a brief stint with Italian giants AC Milan.

Taye Taiwo was a member of the Super Eagles squad between 2004 and 2012, when he made 54 appearances, scoring 8 goals. He was in the CAF Team of the Year on four occasions: 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011.

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2. Ben Iroha

Branded as ‘Unique’, Benedict Iroha, who earned 50 caps in his 8-year international career with the Nigeria senior national team, was one of the best Super Eagles left fullbacks the country ever produced.

Iroha had it all, from physique to brilliance. He played for teams like Bendel Insurance, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, ASEC Mimosas, Vitesse Arnhem, San Jose Clash, D.C. United, Elche and Watford.

Ben Iroha was originally a midfielder before national coach Clemens Westerhof converted him to play left back.

1. Celestine Babayaro

Celestine Babayaro was sensational in the left-back role during his playing days. He had 27 caps for Nigeria’s Super Eagles and was part of the Dream Team that won the gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

His form at the time saw him play for European clubs, including Anderlecht, Chelsea and Newcastle United, before a brief stint at LA Galaxy in the United States.

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He was declared bankrupt in 2011.

How Nigeria won gold at Atlanta 1996

Sports Brief earlier reported that in 1996, Nigeria became the first-ever African team to win gold at the football event of the Olympic Games, having achieved such a feat in Atlanta, USA.

The magical skills of Jay Jay Okocha, the backflip of Celestine Babayaro and the sensational last-minute equalizer by Kanu Nwankwo against Brazil, the list goes on.

The 1996 Olympic Games saw some remarkable upsets in world football as Nigeria defeated Brazil and Argentina on their path to glory.