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It is that time of the year again as PulseSports30 returns to celebrate the best Nigerian players of the 2023/2024 season.
PulseSports30 is an annual football ranking that celebrates the 30 best-performing Nigerian footballers from across the globe.
PulseSports30 makes a return for a third year, recognising the 30 best-performing Nigerian footballers from the 2023/2024 football season.
As a non-discriminatory annual ranking, PulseSports30 considers footballers of Nigerian heritage who performed excellently either in Africa, Asia, Europe, North/South America, or Oceania.
Over the next five days, we will reveal a batch of five players that made our list until we get to number one.
We continue this year's ranking by revealing players ranked between 15-11.
15. Sodiq Ismail
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Another Remo Stars superstar deserving of his place in the PulseSports30 is the talented academy graduate Sodiq Ismail.
Renowned for not just his creative ability but also his versatility, Ismail’s 13 assists are a league-high in the NPFL and the most by any Nigerian fullback across the world.
This remarkable tally has also earned the Remo Stars man a deserved first-ever invitation to the Super Eagles and 15th place finish on this list – the highest ever by any player from the NPFL
14. Wilfred Ndidi
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Dropping down to the Championship, Wilfred Ndidi's outstanding performances in the lower league were nothing short of dominant to earn a place on PulseSports30.
Under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, Ndidi known as an enforcer in defence, was able to unleash his attacking potential. He played a pivotal role for Leicester City as they finished top in the Championship and booked an immediate return to the Premier League.
Unfortunately, the Super Eagles missed the services of the ever-dependable midfield maestro as a late injury ruled him out of Nigeria’s squad to the AFCON 2023.
Set to become a free agent, Ndidi contributed four goals and five assists for the Foxes in 32 appearances this season – decent-enough numbers to see him finish in 14th-place on PulseSports30 list.
13. Paul Onuachu
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Paul Onuachu may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the towering centre-forward had an admirable campaign in the Turkish Super Lig with third-placed Trabzonspor.
The Southampton loanee netted 15 times in 21 appearances (19 starts) despite featuring at AFCON 2023 and sustaining a late-season forearm injury, with every goal coming from open play.
Onuachu’s six match-winning strikes was one shy of the league-high from the on-loan forward, who returns to Southampton after a positive period in Trabzon. He’s ranked 13th on our list.
12. Raphael Onyedika
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Although Onyedika only amassed 27 minutes at the AFCON, he had a remarkable league-winning season with Club Brugge in the Belgium Pro League, which earned him 12th position on PulseSports30.
Onyedika was a main feature for Brugge this season, playing 49 games, across the league, domestic cup and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The 23-year-old stepped into another level at the business end of the season, scoring three goals in nine games—playing as a defensive midfielder—during the Pro League Play-Offs, which helped the Blauw-Zwart lift their 19th Belgian top-flight league title.
11. Ola Aina
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You wouldn’t be exaggerating if you said Aina played a massive role in Nottingham Forest’s Premier League survival. The Super Eagles defender showcased his versatility, shuttling from right back to left back and bombing forward to support the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga.
He contributed 1 goal and 1 assist in his 22 league games, including famously outsprinting the lightning fast Kyle Walker when the Tricky Tees faced Manchester City in April.
Ola Aina’s brilliant season has been rewarded with an 11th-place finish on the PulseSports30 list.
Click here to see players ranked from 20-16
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