Timothy Matthew Howard is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He last played for USL Championship club Memphis 901 FC, a club of which he is a minority owner and sporting director. He is also international ambassador in the US for former club Everton. Howard is widely considered to be one of the greatest team-members in American soccer history. Howard was named to the 2003–04 PFA Premier League Team of the Year and was awarded the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Glove. Referencing the American public's preference for other sports over soccer in contrast to most other countries, the Chicago Tribune described Howard as the "rarest of creatures – an American soccer hero".
Nwankwo Kanu(listen) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was a member of the Nigeria national team, and played for Nigerian team Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Dutch side Ajax, Inter Milan of Italy, and English clubs Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth.
Augustine Azuka Okocha, commonly known as Jay-Jay Okocha, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He won 73 caps for the Nigeria national team between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players from Africa.
Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is known for his speed on the ball. After leaving Nigeria for Italy at age 16, he has since played for a number of top-division clubs around Europe. He began his senior career in 2002 at Serie A club Inter Milan, before he moved to Premier League club Newcastle United in 2006, and then to Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. Having joined Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan in July 2010, they loaned him to Birmingham City in January 2011. He spent a season with La Liga club Levante, he played for Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer from 2013 to 2015, scoring 40 goals, before spending several years in China with Shanghai Shenhua and Wuhan.
Mikel John Obi is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
Enyimba Football Club or simply known as Enyimba, is a Nigerian football club based in the city of Aba which plays in the Nigerian Professional Football League. Their name means People's Elephant in Igbo language and is also the nickname used for the city of Aba. Founded in 1976, the club rose to prominence in the 2000s and is considered the most successful Nigerian football club as they won two African Champions League titles, nine Nigerian championships and four Federation Cups since 2001. Their most-recent league glory came in the 2022–23 season.
Rashidi Yekini was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. He is all-time top goalscorer for his nation.
Vincent Enyeama(Listen) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Despite his below-average height for a goalkeeper, he is popularly regarded as one of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time and of his era.
Kwara United Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Ilorin. They play in the top division in Nigerian football, the Nigeria Professional football League after promotion in 2017 from the Nigeria National League. Their home stadium is the Kwara State Stadium.
Kennedy Mweene is a Zambian professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. On club level he spent most of his career in South African Premier Soccer League clubs Free State Stars and Mamelodi Sundowns. For the Zambia national team, he is the most capped player, having represented Zambia more than 120 times.
Mohamed Lamine Zemmamouche is an Algerian footballer who plays for USM Alger in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 and the Algeria national team.
Murphy Akanji is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He most notably played for Sliema Wanderers in the Maltese Football League between 2001 and 2008, and represented the Nigeria national team at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002.
Denis Masinde Onyango is a Ugandan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for South African Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns.
Merouane Abdouni is a retired Algerian goalkeeper who played for USM El Harrach, USM Alger, MC Alger and USM Blida.
Bassey Abobo Akpanlisten is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for NPFL club, Kano Pillars.
Roger Lennart Palmgren is a Swedish football manager.
Francis Odinaka Uzoho is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Cypriot First Division club Omonia and the Nigeria national team.
Chiamaka Cynthia Nnadoziechee-AH-mə-kə SIN-thee-ə nah-DOH-zee-ay is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Paris FC in the French Division 1 Féminine and the Nigeria women's national football team. She has been regarded as the best female goalkeeper in Africa and one of the best in the world.
Maduka Emilio Okoye is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Watford. Born in Germany, he represents the Nigeria national team.
The 2019–2020 Nigeria Professional Football League was the 49th season of the top-flight division of the Nigerian football league system and the 30th season since its rebranding as the 'Professional League'. The league started on 3 November 2019 but was cancelled in July due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with no champions and no teams relegated. Enyimba were the defending champions, after winning the Super 6 play-offs the previous season
