As Manchester City and Arsenal prepare to meet at Wembley in this season’s EFL Cup final, it is a good moment to look back at the Nigerians who left their mark on one of English football’s most entertaining competitions.
The EFL Cup, or League Cup, has never quite carried the prestige of the FA Cup or the Champions League, but for Nigerian players in England it has often been the competition where they got to really run. Rotation, emerging talents, and clubs giving opportunities to squad players make the League Cup a genuine proving ground, and Nigerians have taken full advantage of it over the decades.
With the final between Arsenal and Manchester City now scheduled for Wembley, the timing feels right to honour the Nigerian scorers who have written their names into this competition’s history. Here, in order, are the top ten.
Dele Adebola 12 goals / 30 apps
The former Birmingham City forward sits comfortably at the top. Adebola was not a headline act during his career but he was effective and dangerous in a competition that rewards exactly that. Strong in the air, hard to handle physically, and reliable in front of goal, he accumulated his tally across a long career in English football that took in Birmingham, Coventry, Crewe and several other clubs.
Efan Ekoku 11 goals / 22 apps
Ekoku’s record reflects how sharp he was as a finisher in his prime. Best remembered for his time at Wimbledon, he had a natural striker’s instinct and his return across just 22 appearances underlines the efficiency that made him such a threat throughout his career.
Kelechi Iheanacho 10 goals
Iheanacho’s cup specialist reputation is thoroughly earned. The Super Eagles forward is also Nigeria’s highest-scoring player in FA Cup history, and his League Cup record puts him among the most effective Nigerian forwards this competition has ever seen. He has a genuine gift for performing in domestic knockout football that his Premier League record has never quite captured.
Yakubu, Peter Odemwingie, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Anichebe 5–7 goals each
Four names from different eras of Nigerian football in England. Yakubu, who scored prolifically throughout the Premier League years at Middlesbrough and Everton, brought his trademark power to the League Cup. Odemwingie, stylish and underrated, contributed consistently. Kanu, the 1999 Champions League winner, brought class and elegance. Victor Anichebe was a physical presence who made the most of every opportunity he received in cup rotation.
Jay-Jay Okocha, Wilfred Ndidi, Hope Akpan 3–4 goals each
Okocha’s four goals in ten appearances barely hint at the entertainment he provided during Bolton’s remarkable run to the 2004 final under Sam Allardyce. His flair and imagination made every appearance an event in itself. Ndidi’s contributions from midfield and Akpan’s goals from further afield round out a top ten that spans decades and styles of Nigerian football talent in England.
The current generation has a chance to climb this list. Nigerian players like Taiwo Awoniyi at Nottingham Forest and Samuel Chukwueze at Fulham have opportunities to add to Nigeria’s EFL Cup legacy in the seasons ahead. For all Nigerian football news and player tracker coverage, visit FootballInNigeria.com.ng. Football fans can also get in on the action using the Bet9ja promo code YOHAIG when signing up for a welcome bonus ahead of the final.
📌 Did You Know?
- Dele Adebola was born in Lagos and moved to England as a child. He played for over fifteen clubs during his career in English football and was never capped by the Super Eagles at senior level, despite leading Nigeria’s all-time EFL Cup scoring chart.
- Efan Ekoku scored four goals in a single Premier League match for Norwich City against Everton in September 1993, becoming the first player to score four goals in a Premier League game. That finishing instinct carried directly into his League Cup performances.
- Jay-Jay Okocha’s run to the 2004 EFL Cup final with Bolton Wanderers remains one of the most unlikely cup runs in recent English football history. Bolton, managed by Sam Allardyce, drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough before losing on penalties, with Okocha central to nearly everything they created.
- Kelechi Iheanacho’s FA Cup record includes a stunning semi-final goal for Leicester City against Southampton in 2021 that sent the Foxes to their first FA Cup final in 52 years. He scored the only goal in the final against Chelsea, making him the match winner in the biggest domestic cup game Leicester had played in decades.
- The EFL Cup was founded in 1960, making it one year older than the European Cup of Champions (now the Champions League). Nigerian players have been appearing in the competition since the 1980s, with the tally of top scorers spanning nearly four decades of the diaspora’s history in English football.
- Wilfred Ndidi’s three League Cup goals are notable because goalscoring is not what he is celebrated for. The defensive midfielder is one of the most disciplined and effective defensive players Leicester City have had since their Premier League title-winning era, making each cup goal a genuine event.
- Victor Anichebe, who appears in the top ten, came through Everton’s academy and was one of the better developed Nigerian talents in the English system during the 2000s and early 2010s. His physical presence made him a genuine handful in cup competitions where opposition defenders had less time to prepare for his specific threat.
