Europa League: Which Nigerian players have won it?

GOAL remember ten of the continent's outstanding winners of Europe's secondary club competition

Nwankwo Kanu

One of two Nigerians to win the Uefa Cup with Inter Milan in 1998, Kanu’s triumph came only three years after he’d won the Champions League with Ajax as they defeated AC Milan in 1995.

He ultimately didn’t realise his potential in Lombardy, but found his stride with Arsenal, where he was a defeated finalist—at the hands of Galatasaray—in the 2000 final.

Taribo West

Enjoyed Uefa Cup success alongside Kanu in ‘98, with West actually featuring in the final against Lazio while Kanu was only among the substitutes.

He did see red in that match, being dismissed in the 82nd minute, but it extended his excellent career successes after previous Olympic triumphs with the Super Eagles and French glory with Auxerre.

John Obi Mikel

Part of the Chelsea side that secured the Champions League title in 2012 and then followed it up with Europa League glory 12 months later, Mikel became—in the process—only the second African player to win both of European football’s major prizes.

He was an unused substitute as Chelsea beat Benfica in the UEL final, having started the UCL final against Bayern Munich.

Victor Moses

Even though Moses’s finest hour with Chelsea came in 2017, when he won the Premier League under Antonio Conte, he had actually previously clinched a major honour with the Blues four years beforehand.

Back in 2013, alongside Mikel, Moses was part of the Europa League-winning team in his first season at the club, and actually excelled in a more attacking role.

He scored five goals en route to the title—averaging a goal every other game—and was part of Chelsea and Internazionale teams that reached two further finals.

Chidi Odiah

Arguably a forgotten Nigeria great of the last decade, Odiah excelled across eight years with CSKA Moscow amassing an impressive haul of silverware in Russian football.

He was also part of the CSKA side that secured European glory as well, defeating Sporting Lisbon 3-1 in the Portuguese title to clinch the Uefa Cup in 2005.

Odiah featured on the right side of midfield during the contest, with compatriot Joseph Enakarhine starting in the centre of the defence for Sporting.

Balogun, Bassey, Aribo?

Three more Nigerians will be hoping to get their hands on Europe’s secondary continental prize on Wednesday evening when Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

Joe Aribo has been one of the stars of the Glaswegians’ run in continental competition, while defender Calvin Bassey has featured 13 times in the competition this season, impressing—notably—in the victory over RasenBallsport Leipzig.

For Leon Balogun, now 33, victory in the Europa League final would be an achievement to rival Africa Cup of Nations success in 2013. He’s scored twice in the competition so far, and could have a big role to play in Wednesday’s final.