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Former Super Eagles forward John Chukwudi Utaka has stated categorically that no Super Eagles player(past or present) can be tagged as the Nigerian greatest of all time.
Utaka told www.brila.net in a live chat that Nigerian footballers always make remarkable exploits in any club they find themselves, as such, every club thinks their own Nigerian could be the greatest.
“In Egypt when I enter a taxi they always mentioned about four or five of Nigerian players to be the greatest, they will say Amunike because he played in Zamalek in Egypt,
“Anytime they see me, they will ask if I’m from Nigeria, I will say yes and then they will talk about him at times they will even call me Amunike, that’ shows that he did a great job during his days there in Egypt,” Utaka said.
“Some other times in France, they mention Yekini, Amokachi, Kanu, and Okocha; and if you look at those names – It is difficult to pick out one to be named greatest ever.
“I know where to place Kanu for example based on his qualities, I also know how to rate Okocha based on his qualities and as well, Rashidi Yekini because of his goalscoring prowess,
However, picking one of these guys as the greatest ever is not a possibility, but collectively – We can pick a set or generation as the greatest.
Utaka played for Nigeria until 2014 and was a participant at the 2002 World Cup. He started four of Nigeria’s six games in the 2006 African Cup of Nations, in which Nigeria finished in third place.
He was also part of the Nigeria squad that participated in the 2010 World Cup.
