By Douglas Baye-Osagie
Email: dbayeosagie@yahoo.com
Congratulations to Moses Simon. Tonight in Uyo against Madagascar, if Eric Chelle fields him, he will become a centurion – 100 caps for the Super Eagles. An incredible feat of professionalism, talent and patriotism.
The NFF will honour him, and deservedly so. Before tonight, four men had done it: Joseph Yobo, Vincent Enyeama, Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi – who just reached his century against Portugal in the friendly before the 2026 World Cup. Tonight, Moses Simon becomes the fifth member of Nigeria’s exclusive Centurion Club.
The numbers show his loyalty: debut on March 25, 2015, against Uganda – the same night Enyeama won his own 100th cap. 99 games so far, 12 goals, 49 wins, 30 draws, 20 losses. 64 competitive matches, 35 friendlies, 23 AFCON finals games and 22 World Cup qualifiers.
From GBS Jos to Trencin, to Genk where he announced himself, to Nantes where he became a cult hero, and now Paris FC – he has never turned down the green and white. Remember that 22-yard free-kick against Swaziland in Port Harcourt in 2015? It saved our 2018 World Cup dream. Sadly, injury stopped him from making the Russia 2018 World Cup.
But here is the painful truth staring us in the face: we now have a generation of centurions with empty hands. Caps without Cups.
Alex Iwobi reached 100 against Portugal just before the World Cup. Tonight, Moses Simon reaches 100. Two of our most loyal servants joining the club. Yet of the five centurions in our history, three – Yobo, Enyeama and Musa – have lifted AFCON trophies. Musa, in fact, lifted the 2013 edition in South Africa. Iwobi and Simon are still waiting.
And this is not a new lesson. Go back to the legends of 1980 who gave Nigeria its first AFCON glory at home. Christian Chukwu, the Chairman who lifted the cup as captain, Segun Odegbami, the Mathematical genius who scored two goals in the final against Algeria, Felix Owolabi, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Best Ogedegbe. None of them needed up to 50 caps to become immortal. With barely 30 to 45 caps each, they conquered Africa and gave Nigeria its first star. They did not count games; they made the games count.
That should trouble every Nigerian football lover. Because the men who actually gave us trophies outside that centurion club never even needed 100 games to become legends.
Daniel Amokachi, The Bull. AFCON 1994 winner, Olympic gold winner in 1996, World Cup warrior. Total caps? Just 44. But he has an AFCON gold medal in the Super Eagles shirt.
Emmanuel Emenike. The man who fired us to AFCON 2013 – top scorer with 4 goals, bullying defences from Durban to Johannesburg. He quit international football with only 37 caps and 9 goals. But he will forever be called a champion.
Sunday Mba. One moment, one unforgettable left-foot volley against Burkina Faso in the 2013 final. One trophy for Nigeria’s third star. His entire Super Eagles career? 21 caps. Twenty-one.
Mutiu Adepoju, The Headmaster. AFCON winner in 1994, two World Cups. A 12-year career gave him just 48 caps. But he has gold that 100 caps cannot buy.
Even Victor Moses, the official Man of the Match in that 2013 final against Burkina Faso, walked away with only 38 caps.
So ask the honest question: What changed?
It is not talent. This current crop plays for Fulham, Paris FC, Atalanta and Leverkusen. They earn more, they are fitter and more professional than the 2013 squad. Simon has been one of our most consistent wingers for 10 years.
It is culture. The old legends played fewer games, but they played with the mindset that only trophies counted. They were built to win tournaments, not just to honour invitations and qualify.
Since 2013, we have mastered the art of accumulating appearances. Friendlies. Qualifiers. Group stage exits. Round of 16 exits. We celebrate 100 caps while the trophy cabinet has been locked for 13 years.
Make no mistake, Moses Simon deserves his flowers. As NFF Acting Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme said, he is “a patriot to the core.” But patriotism without a trophy is an unfinished story.
That is why tonight must be more than a ceremony and a plaque. At 30 years old, this AFCON 2027 campaign could be Simon and Iwobi’s last real chance to turn a century of caps into one piece of silverware.
The lesson from Amokachi, Mba, Emenike and Adepoju is clear: it is better to have 21 caps and lift a Cup than to have 100 caps and only lift your hands in applause. They didn’t play up to 100, but when they played, Nigeria won.
So congratulations to Moses Simon, the Centurion – the 5th in our history. The caps are secured. Now, go and fight for the Cup. Because history will not only remember how many times you wore the shirt – history will remember what you won while wearing it.