Mercy Akide, Precious Dede feature in the greatest players of all-time

Sports is one of the unifying factors in the country, with football the number one sport. Nigeria is a country divided by tribal lines, but all differences are put aside when the national teams play.

Although the Super Eagles (men's national team) are the most popular, the Super Falcons (women's national team) also have a large following.

In fact, the Super Falcons have had more success than their male counterparts. They have won the CAF Africa Women's Cup of Nations a record 11 times, while they have also reached the quarterfinals of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

In contrast, the Super Eagles have only won the nations cup three times while they are yet to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, with just three second-round appearances to their name.

With that said, we look at the ten greatest players that have played for the Nigerian Women's national team.

Two goalkeepers are included in this list, and the first name is Precious Dede. Dede made 99 appearances for Nigeria between 2000 and 2016.

She was ever-reliable in goal and one of Nigeria's most popular goalkeepers. The 37-year-old won two AWCON titles with the Super Falcons, while she also played at four World Cup tournaments and three Olympic events.

Dede retired from international duty after the 2015 Women's World Cup.

While Dede will always be Nigeria's longest-serving goalkeeper, Ann Chiejine will always be the pioneer. She could be called the 'Queen of Nigerian goalkeepers.'

At just the age of 17, She was Nigeria's undisputed number one at the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991.

Although she got married a year later, Chiejine still played for Nigeria at the 1995 and 1999 Women's World Cup.

Chiejine reportedly played with a pregnancy at the 2000 summer Olympics, which shows her dedication to the Super Falcons.

She won four AWCON titles during her playing career and was part of the team that reached the quarterfinals of the 1999 Women's World Cup.

Like Dede, Onome Obi has also had a long career, although she is still playing. She made her debut with the national team in 2003 and has gone on to win 91 caps.

She is the first Nigerian in the male and female teams to play at five different World Cups. Her first appearance at the world's biggest sporting event was in 2003, before further appearances at the 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 editions.

She is on course to make her sixth appearance next year if the Super Falcons qualify. Ebi has also represented Nigeria at many AWCONS, winning four times.

Faith Ikidi is another player that is still currently playing. She made her international bow with the Super Falcons in 2004 and has gone on to win 53 caps.

Ikidi is known for her solidity at the back, and she is one of the first set of Nigerian players to play in the Swedish top-flight.

The 35-year-old is a three-time AWCON winner.

Stella Mbachu was a fan favourite during her playing days. She made her debut for the country in 1998 and went on to play 89 times, scoring 20 goals.

Known for her technique and use of space, Mbachu represented Nigeria at the 1999 Women's World Cup and was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2010 AWCON.

In terms of talent, Cynthia Uwak is arguably the most talented player that has played for the Super Falcons. A two-time African Women's player of the year, Uwak is unplayable on her day.

She is also a league champion in France and won the AWCON two times with Nigeria. Although she is still currently playing, she has not played for Nigeria since 2016.

It is impossible to name some of the people behind the growth of women's football in Nigeria without mentioning Florence Omagbemi.

Omagbemi was a key member of the Nigerian team that played at the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991.

She went on to captain and then coached the team after retiring. As a player, she won four AWCON titles and won one as a coach in 2016.

Women's football in Nigeria produced many good players, but the first superstar to emerge from the country was Mercy Akide.

Akide is as popular as any other Nigerian male player. She was arguably the best player during her time with the Super Falcons, which is why it was not a surprise she was named the first African Women's Player of the year.

A two-time world all-star and a veteran of three World Cups, Akide was truly the first superstar to come out from the Super Falcons team.

While Akide is the first Super Falcons superstar, Perpetua Nkwocha is the player that raised the level of Women's football in Nigeria.

The 46-year-old reached unprecedented heights during her playing career, including four African Women's player awards.

She made history at the 2004 AWCON, scoring nine goals, including four against Cameroon in the final. Nkwocha represented Nigeria at four World Cups and three Olympic events.

What Nkwocha achieved was deemed impossible to match, but Asisat Oshoala has not only matched it, she has surpassed it.

Although Akide was the first superstar, Oshoala is the person that made women's football cool in Nigeria. She has broken all barriers while excelling at them.

She is a recipient of four African Women's player awards and is on course to break Nkwocha's record this year. The 27-year-old is also Nigeria's first women footballer to enjoy mainstream success in Europe.

Oshoala is truly a modern great, and it is only fitting to call her the greatest Nigerian and African women's player of all time.