Former Super Eagles star, Victor Ikpeba, has named the greatest player to have ever donned the Nigerian jersey.

According to Ikpeba, former captain, Christian Chukwu, who passed away in April 2025, and most notably remembered for leading Nigeria to their inaugural Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1980, is the greatest.

DAILY POST reports that in addition to Chukwu’s playing career, he made significant contributions to Nigerian football as a coach, working with both the Golden Eaglets and the Super Eagles.

At the club level, Chukwu played a crucial role in the Rangers team that secured the African Cup Winners’ Cup, triumphing over the esteemed Cameroonian side Canon Yaoundé in the 1977 final.

When asked to identify the greatest player to wear the Super Eagles jersey, Ikpeba said on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football:

“Christian Chukwu. He was the first star to win the Africa Cup of Nations. An iconic player, I witnessed him play as a young boy. During that time, there were many talents like Muda Lawal.”

The former Monaco forward elaborated, “In my era, opportunities were abundant: the 1994 team, the squad that won the Olympics, and the 2013 Afcon-winning team.

“Recently, players such as Lookman and Victor Osimhen have emerged. Numerous exceptional players have worn this jersey in the past.”

Ikpeba was part of the Super Eagles team that triumphed in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, and he subsequently secured Olympic gold with the Dream Team two years later.