Ranking Nigeria’s 10 most valuable goalkeepers: Chippa United star in 3rd place

Nigeria has a long history of producing strong goalkeepers, from Peter Rufai and Vincent Enyeama to the current generation competing across Europe, Africa and beyond, Afrik-Foot reports.

The latest Transfermarkt figures put a wide gap between Nigeria’s most valuable goalkeeper and the rest. The list also includes established Super Eagles stars, a recent international debutant and teenagers who are still building their senior careers.

Here are Nigeria’s 10 most valuable goalkeepers, ranked from 10th to first, based on the market values listed by Transfermarkt.

Goalkeepers: Nigeria’s most valuable

10. Michael Atata, €250,000

Michael Atata is one of the youngest players in this top 10 who has already moved into senior club football. The 20-year-old goalkeeper plays for Ikorodu City in the Nigerian Premier Football League. Transfermarkt values him at €250,000 and lists his contract with the Lagos club until June 2027. He has no senior Nigeria cap.

Atata’s 2025-26 season was still limited. Available league records show that he did not make a league appearance during the campaign, which means his current value is based more on age, potential and his place in the professional game than on a long list of senior performances.

That makes his inclusion notable. At 20, Atata has time to build a regular place at club level before making a push for the national team. His move into the Ikorodu City setup gives him a platform in the NPFL, where regular first-team football could be the next step in his development.

9. Ebenezar Harcourt, €300,000

Ebenezar Harcourt is one of the most interesting names on the list because of his age. Born on 21 October 2009, Harcourt was only 16 when Transfermarkt valued him at €300,000. The 1.95m goalkeeper plays for Sporting Lagos.

His progress has also taken him onto the international stage at youth level. Harcourt was Nigeria’s number one goalkeeper at the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

Super Eagles head coach handed Harcourt his international debut at the African Nations Championship, as the talented lad became the youngest goalkeeper to make his Nigeria bow.

At this stage, his value is not built on hundreds of senior matches. It reflects the potential of a teenager who already stands 1.95m tall and has been trusted in major youth competitions. The next challenge is clearly to turn that early international exposure into regular senior football.

8. Adebayo Adeleye, €300,000

Adebayo Adeleye has already built a sizeable professional career outside Nigeria. The 26-year-old goalkeeper returned to Enosis Neon Paralimni in Cyprus in January 2026 after a short spell with Greek club Volos. He had previously made 30 league appearances for Enosis during the 2024-25 season.

His 2025-26 campaign was split between Volos and Enosis. He made four appearances in the Greek Cup with Volos before moving back to Cyprus, where he played seven league matches for Enosis.

Adeleye’s career also includes 136 league appearances for Hapoel Jerusalem. That period gave him a long run of senior football in Israel, including 103 appearances for the club’s senior side from 2020 to 2024.

His Nigeria career has been much shorter. He has two senior international appearances, after progressing through the country’s Under-17 and Under-20 teams.

Adeleye’s €300,000 value shows a goalkeeper with substantial first-team experience, even though he has not yet become a regular choice for the Super Eagles.

7. Akpan Udoh, €300,000

Akpan Udoh spent three seasons playing in Malta with Mosta FC, giving him a steady run of European club football. The 26-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper joined Mosta in August 2023 and had a contract running until 30 June 2026.

His first two seasons were particularly productive in terms of appearances. Udoh played 23 league matches in 2023-24 and 24 in 2024-25. He recorded nine clean sheets in his first season and five in the second. His workload dropped in 2025-26, when he made 12 league appearances and recorded two clean sheets.

Udoh has represented Nigeria at Under-20 level but has not made his senior Super Eagles debut.

His time in Malta has given him something that several younger goalkeepers on this list still need and that’s regular senior experience outside Nigeria.

6. Francis Uzoho, €300,000

Francis Uzoho is the most experienced international goalkeeper in this section of the ranking.

The 27-year-old has 37 Nigeria caps since he made his senior debut in November 2017. He was a regular part of several Super Eagles squads.

Uzoho has also had a long association with Omonia in Cyprus. The club’s official player profile records his European and domestic appearances across several seasons, including 18 league starts in 2022-23 and 10 league appearances in 2023-24.

His 2025-26 European campaign produced some strong numbers. Uzoho recorded five Conference League appearances, five goals conceded and a save percentage of 80%.

His place in Nigeria’s history also goes beyond appearances. Uzoho was part of the Super Eagles squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, when he was only 19.

At €300,000, he sits well below the value of Nigeria’s two leading goalkeepers. His international experience, however, is greater than almost everyone below him on this list.

5. Chijioke Aniagboso, €400,000

Chijioke Aniagboso has built his reputation through major youth tournaments and a growing role in Ukrainian football. Valued at €400,000, the 22-year-old plays for Chornomorets Odesa, where he has become a regular first-team goalkeeper.

The 2025-26 season was a major step in his club career. Chornomorets’ official season review says Aniagboso played 26 league matches and conceded 17 goals. He also helped the club finish the season with a 1-0 win over Metalist on 1 June 2026.

His international story started early. Aniagboso was a key part of Nigeria’s Under-20 side at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and played five matches as the Flying Eagles finished third. He also captained the team during the tournament when Daniel Bameyi was suspended.

He then featured at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Argentina, where Nigeria famously secured a 2-0 win over hosts Argentina in the round of 16. His senior career is now catching up with his youth achievements.

4. Joshua Oluwayemi, €400,000

Joshua Oluwayemi has taken a different route, moving from England through Finland before establishing himself in Australia’s A-League.

The English-Nigerian goalkeeper joined Wellington Phoenix in 2024 after playing for FC Lahti in Finland. The Phoenix later extended his contract after he quickly won the number one shirt.

His first season in Wellington was impressive. Oluwayemi played 18 A-League matches in 2024-25, made 84 saves and finished with a 74.3% save rate. The club says that save rate was the second best in the league, while his 84 saves were the most by any goalkeeper.

He also started 18 league matches during the 2025-26 campaign, although an ankle injury cost him eight games. Wellington confirmed that he left the club at the end of that season after making 36 A-League appearances across two campaigns.

There was also a difficult night against Auckland FC on 21 February 2026. Oluwayemi headed a clearance into his own net in the 24th minute. Auckland then scored three more times before half-time in a 5-0 defeat.

Oluwayemi has represented England at Under-15 level and was called up by Nigeria at the age of 20, but he has not won a senior Super Eagles cap.

3. Stanley Nwabali, €800,000

Stanley Nwabali, with 34 Nigeria caps, is the third most valuable Nigerian goalkeeper at €800,000. His value is strongly linked to what he has done for Nigeria on the international stage.

Nwabali became a central figure during Nigeria’s run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in Ivory Coast. He kept four clean sheets during the tournament and played every minute of the Super Eagles’ campaign.

His reputation grew again at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Nigeria reached the third-place match against Egypt after losing to Morocco in the semi-final. The match in Casablanca finished 0-0 after 90 minutes, sending it to penalties.

Nwabali then saved penalties from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush as Nigeria won the shootout 4-2. CAF named him the decisive figure in the bronze-medal victory.

He has also spent most of his recent club career with Chippa United in South Africa. The goalkeeper’s path to the Super Eagles was not quick. He played for several Nigerian clubs, including Enyimba, Lobi Stars and Katsina United, before his move to Chippa.

His rise from Nigerian domestic football to becoming a two-time AFCON tournament goalkeeper is one of the most interesting stories in this ranking.

2. Arthur Okonkwo, €5 million

Arthur Okonkwo is valued at €5m, putting him far ahead of every Nigerian goalkeeper except one.

The 24-year-old was developed at Arsenal and represented England at youth level before completing his switch to Nigeria in 2026. FIFA approved the change of association in April, clearing him to play for the Super Eagles.

His club career took off at Wrexham. During the 2025-26 Championship season, Opta recorded 39 appearances and 3,420 minutes for Okonkwo. He also kept nine league clean sheets. He had already made a strong impression in the previous season. In Wrexham’s League One campaign, he played 33 matches and kept 19 clean sheets.

His first Nigeria appearance came in the 2026 Unity Cup. On 26 May, he started against Zimbabwe at The Valley in London and kept a clean sheet as Nigeria won 2-0. Wrexham praised the goalkeeper after his debut.

Okonkwo then helped Nigeria win the Unity Cup. He recorded two clean sheets during the tournament, against Zimbabwe and Jamaica.

That start has changed the Super Eagles’ goalkeeping picture. A player who once represented England at youth level is now competing with established Nigeria internationals for the senior number one shirt.

1. Maduka Okoye, €10 million

Maduka Okoye is comfortably Nigeria’s most valuable goalkeeper. His market value is pegged at €10m, twice the figure of Arthur Okonkwo and more than 12 times that of Stanley Nwabali. The 26-year-old is under contract with Udinese until June 2028.

Okoye has already played at a higher club level than most of the goalkeepers on this list. He joined Udinese from Watford in 2023 after previous spells with Sparta Rotterdam and in England. Udinese’s official profile noted his experience in the Dutch Eredivisie and the English Championship before the move to Serie A.

The 2025-26 Serie A season gave him another substantial workload, including 30 league appearances, 117 shots on target faced, 80 saves and a 68.4% save rate. He conceded 37 goals across those matches. Okoye also finished the Serie A season with Udinese in 10th place.

His career also had a major interruption in 2025. An Italian sports court gave him a two-month suspension at the start of the 2025-26 season. Udinese later stated that the court had excluded any involvement by Okoye in sporting offences and that the ban was based on a breach of the general principle of fairness. Despite that setback, Okoye returned to Serie A action and finished the season as Udinese’s established goalkeeper.

He has also been a Nigeria international since 2019, boasting 21 senior caps, since making his Super Eagles debut as a substitute against Brazil in a friendly clash.

The €10m valuation places Okoye in a different financial bracket from the rest of Nigeria’s goalkeeper pool. His Serie A experience, age and international background explain the gap.