Top 10 football clubs in Nigeria, Africa

Organised football in Nigeria began in 1945 with the establishment of the Nigeria Football Association (now Nigeria Football Federation), although veteran sports journalist and historian, Kunle Solaja, insists, with evidence, that the football body was formed in 1933.

Irrespective of the authentic NFF’s formation year, football clubs in Nigeria have, since the end of World War II, participated in competitions and won laurels. They have also proudly represented Nigeria in African continental competitions and returned in glory with various cups and trophies.

With the federation’s (and country’s) most prominent team, the Super Eagles missing football’s greatest showpiece, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar later this year, it is a great time for Nigerians to focus their attention on their illustrious football clubs, celebrate their achievements and support them by going to the various stadia to watch their games and insist on reforms to make the clubs successful entities.

Therefore, this piece takes a look at some of the most popular clubs in Nigeria, as well as the current top clubs in the country. Also in focus herein are the prominent clubs in Africa which have a humongous support base.

Table of Content hide 1Top 10 popular football clubs in Nigeria 1.1Stationery Stores FC (Lagos) 1.2Shooting Stars SC (Ibadan) 1.3Mighty Jets (Jos) 1.4Rangers International (Enugu) 1.5Bendel Insurance (Benin City) 1.6Ranchers Bees (Kaduna) 1.7Heartland FC (formerly Iwuanyawu Nationale; Owerri) 1.8Enyimba (Aba) 1.9BCC Lions (Gboko) 1.10Kano Pillars (Kano) 2Which football club has the highest number of fans in Nigeria? 3Which clubs have the most fans in Africa?

Top 10 popular football clubs in Nigeria

Just as stated above, various clubs have been formed since 1945. There have been over 150 football clubs of Nigerian origin that have had players cover every blade of grass in both domestic and continental competitions. Some are still existing, while others have become defunct.

Out of the over 150 football clubs, below are the 10 of them considered to be the most popular.

Stationery Stores FC (Lagos)

If there is any club that enticed the people of Lagos to football, that has to be Stationery Stores Football Club. The club was established by Israel Adebajo, the manager of Nigerian Office Stationery Supply Stores Limited in 1958. Its venue, the Onikan Stadium, was always filled during its home games, and also had its followers always attending away games in their numbers.

The Flaming Flamingoes were known to produce great goalkeepers for the national team. They played an entertaining style of game and this translated to the number of domestic trophies won. It won a total of 13 Lagos State Challenge Cups and further exerted its influence in the main competition, the FA Cup, which it won four times in 1967, 1968, 1982 and 1990.

But despite its cup domination, this famed club won the league only once in 1992. It also tasted no success on the continent, with its closest step to glory being the 1981 Africa Cup Winners Cup which it finished as runners-up.

Its woes, however, began the following year when it was relegated to the lower division. Since then, it has been a litany of problems for the Lagos-based club. The Adebajo Babes are currently plying their trade in the Nigerian National League, the lower tier of the league structure in the country.

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Shooting Stars SC (Ibadan)

If anyone is asking about which are the traditional clubs in Nigeria, look no further than Shooting Stars Sporting Club of Ibadan, Oyo State. 3SC, as the club is fondly called, was founded in the 1950s as WNDC Ibadan (Western Nigeria Development Company). They were later known as the IICC (Industrial Investment and Credit Corporation) Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

The Oluyole Warriors were so dominant in the 1970s and 1980s, and their success attracted more fans and made her one of the most followed clubs in the country. The club’s old stadium, Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, was a mecca of all sorts during her glory days.

The club won the inaugural edition of the Nigerian FA Cup in 1971 and went on to claim many trophies in the country. It won the Nigerian league in 1976, 1980, 1983, 1995, and 1998; and clinched the FA Cup five times in 1971 (as WNDC), 1977, 1979, and 1995.

Aside from its rivalry with other teams, “Up Sooting” was well-loved as it produced many stars for the Green Eagles (now Super Eagles).

It also became a force to reckon with on the African continent. It won the Africa Cup Winners in 1976, thereby becoming the first Nigerian club to enjoy continental acclaim. Other trophies in its cabinet include the CAF Cup (1992) and the West African Club Championship (1998). It also finished as runners-up in the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1984 and 1996, respectively.

In recent times, the club has experienced a slide in performance and has been relegated several times. It is, however, back in the Premier League and plays its home games these days at the Lekan Salami Stadium in the Adamasingba area of Ibadan.

Mighty Jets (Jos)

Mighty Jets is a football club founded in 1969 and is based in Jos, the capital of Plateau State. It was established by a consortium of football players such as Garba Okoye, Sule Yusuf (Sule Kekere), Ismaila Mabo and Layiwola Olagbemiro. It is one of the few clubs in Nigeria that is not owned or controlled by the state government, although it relies on subventions from the Plateau State government.

The Jets participated in and were crowned champions of the maiden season of the Nigerian football league in 1972. That was the first and only time they won the league until they were relegated to the lower division in 1985. They were also demoted to the third division in 1994, spending three seasons there before being promoted back to the second division in 1997.

They gained promotion to the league in 2004 after winning the Nigeria National League (the second division) a year earlier. However, their stint was short-lived as they finished bottom of the log and were relegated once again.

They also have a sour record of losing the most FA Cup finals, as they have never won the 10 finals in which they played. They are currently slugging it out in the NNL with the Jos International Stadium as their home base.

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Rangers International (Enugu)

Rangers International are one of the oldest clubs in Nigeria, as they were established in 1970. They are popularly known as “Enugu Rangers” because they are based and play their home games in Enugu. Their home ground is the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, nicknamed “The Cathedral” by her fans.

The Flying Antelopes have won the Nigerian league title seven times (1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984, 2016). They have also clinched the FA Cup trophy six times in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1983 and 2018. Furthermore, they were triumphant in the 2004 Nigerian Super Cup and demolished Canon Yaoundé of Cameroon 5-2 on aggregate to win the 1977 Africa Cup Winners Cup.

Remarkably, this club is the only one never to have been relegated from the Nigeria Premier League. It also provided numerous players for the national team.

Bendel Insurance (Benin City)

Initially known as the Vipers, Bendel Insurance is one of the “institutions” of Nigerian football. Established in 1972 by Samuel Ogbemudia, Governor of the then Mid-West State, the club was one of the founding members of the league, ironically also instituted in the same year.

The Benin Arsenal enjoyed adulation both in the country and on the continent for its exploits in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It won the league in 1973 and 1979; and the FA Cup in 1972, 1978 and 1980. On the continent, it won the West African Club Championship in 1993, 1994 and 1995; and took it a step further by clinching the CAF Cup in 1995. A good number of its players were in the national team during these glorious days.

The club was, however, plagued with administrative, ownership and financial issues in the 2007-2008 season and it led to a downward spiral for them as they were relegated from the league. Subsequently, the Edo State government took control of the club in 2008 and has been running it since then.

Its home ground is the Ogbe Stadium, Benin City, which has now been renamed the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium after the founder of the club.

Ranchers Bees (Kaduna)

When talking about one of the most popular clubs from northern Nigeria, then Ranchers Bees must be in the mix. The club was originally founded as the DIC (Defense Industry Corp.) Bees in 1974, but it changed to its present name when Muktar Mohammed Aruwa bought the club in the 1980s.

But despite being popular, the Bees have not been very successful in terms of trophy hunting. It lost the 1983 Nigerian Cup to Enugu Rangers, and also ended up as runner-up in the 1988 CAF Cup Winners Cup. It, however, emerged victorious in the 1989 West African Club Championship and were crowned the 2012/2013 NNL champions.

They currently play in the NNL and host their home games at the Kaduna Township Stadium

Heartland FC (formerly Iwuanyawu Nationale; Owerri)

Although it is known called Heartland FC, this Owerri-based club is very much loved in the Eastern heartland of the country. Iwuanyawu Nationale, as it is still referred to by some of its old supporters, was formed in 1976.  Its initial name was Spartans FC but was renamed Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC in 1985 after a change of ownership from the Imo State government into the hands of Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a prominent businessman.

But in 2006, the Imo state government re-acquired the club from Iwuanyanwu and subsequently renamed it Heartland FC.

The Naze Millionaires enjoyed success on the domestic in the 1980s and the early 1990s. It won the league on five occasions: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993. They were also the FA Cup kings in 1988, 2011, and 2012; and secured the Nigerian Super Cup in 2011 and 2012. However, they have not been so successful on the continent, losing the finals of the African Cup of Champions and the CAF Champions League in 1988 and 2009, respectively.

Before 2016, Heartland was one of the few clubs not to have been relegated in the history of the Nigerian league. However, they finished 18th on the log that year and plunged into the lower division for the first time. They play their home games at the Dan Aniyam Stadium, Owerri; but are temporarily based at the Okigwe Stadium pending the completion of rehabilitation works at the former.

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Enyimba (Aba)

Closely following Heartland in terms of the year of establishment is Enyimba of Aba, the most successful club in the history of Nigeria.

The Peoples Elephants were established in 1976 by Jerry Amadi Enyeazu, the then-Director for Sports in the newly established Imo State. However, when Abia State was carved out of Imo State in 1991, the control was automatically ceded to the government of the newly created state.

For years, the club was in the backwaters. They were relegated from the top-flight league in 1992 and spent two seasons in the lower league, winning the second division in 1993 to gain automatic promotion back for the 1994 league season. However, began to change for the better when Orji Uzor Kalu was elected as the Governor of Abia State in 1999.

Realising the potential of the club as a soft power tool in politics, Kalu restructured the club’s management, recruited some of the best coaches in the country and pumped in a lot of Abia State’s funds to secure the services of and for the welfare of the players. The investment delivered quick returns two years later when the Aba Warriors picked up their first league trophy in 2001.

They have gone on to win seven more league championships in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009–10, 2015 and 2019. The Aba-based club also boasts of four FA Cup wins in 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2014. Its domestic success also includes four Nigerian Super Cup triumphs in 2001, 2003, 2010 and 2013. All these, unequivocally, have made Enyimba the most successful football club in Nigeria.

However, Enyimba’s greatest triumph is on the African continent. Before the turn of the millennium, no Nigerian club had won the CAF Champions League, the continent’s most illustrious football club competition. But under coach Kadiri Ikhana, the club won its first (and Nigeria’s) maiden Champions League in 2003; and repeated the same feat under coach Okey Emordi a year later. Also in its trophy cabinet are two CAF Super Cup trophies.

Just like Stationery Stores, Enyimba, which plays its home games at the Enyimba International Stadium, has continuously provided goalkeepers for the Super Eagles’ team since 2002.

BCC Lions (Gboko)

The popular saying: “nothing lasts forever”, sadly reflects the current state of BCC Lions Football Club (Benue Cement Company) Gboko. As its name implies, the club was founded by a cement company (now defunct) in 1982.

The club had been a “near near” club in the 1980s but recorded no success for its troubles. However, the appointment of the late Shaibu Amodu in 1988 drastically changed the fortunes of the club. BCC Lions suddenly became the kings of the game, starting with their FA Cup win the following year.

They later went on to win three more of it in 1993, 1994 and 1997, respectively. The continental competition was also another stage of glory as they emerged victorious in the 1990 Africa Cup Winners’ Cup. They also got a coronation as league champions in 1994.

Regrettably, the club was relegated from the league in 1998 and has remained in the doldrums forever. They spent six years in the lower division and despite attempts to resuscitate the team since 2002, it has been disappointment upon disappointment. Aliko Dangote, the current richest man in Africa, even attempted to revive the club in 2008, but their season ended badly with an exit from the league.

Although BCC Lions may now be defunct, its name, huge popularity and incredible exploits will not be easily forgotten by true football fans in Nigeria.

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Kano Pillars (Kano)

A simple glance by the opponents and neutrals at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, during the home games of Kano Pillars makes one feel intimidated because of the filled stands. That is how big and popular Pillars are in the north. It is so loved by the people that its nickname: Sai Masu Gida, is a catchphrase literally across North-West Nigeria.

Established by Ibrahim Galadima, a former commissioner of sports in Kano State, who later became NFA Chairman, Pillars are, unlike the aforementioned teams, a more contemporary club in Nigeria. Its present-time formation has, however, not stopped it from being one of the country’s most successful clubs.

The club has won four league titles in the 2007-2008, 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2014 seasons, respectively. They have also won the FA Cup twice in 1953 and 2009, and won the Nigerian Super Cup in 2008.

They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten home run in the history of the league, as they did not taste defeat at home in 202 games, which was for 12 years 63 days, until their 1-2 defeat to Nasarawa United on 23 August 2015 at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

Which football club has the highest number of fans in Nigeria?

This is difficult to determine due to the appalling record-keeping practice in Nigeria. There are no official statistics regarding the number of spectators who watch games at the league grounds. We also do not know which club is the most patronised as the commercial figures from the sale of memorabilia are not publicly disclosed.

But from the estimates of fan attendance at stadiums, the engagement of fans on sports shows in the media and social media participation, this piece approximates that the clubs with the highest number of fans currently are Enyimba and Kano Pillars. This can be partly adduced to the club’s recent successes.

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Which clubs have the most fans in Africa?

Football is, undeniably, the most popular sport in Africa. A large number of the continent’s population actively support various African clubs in their countries based on location and rivalry, in addition to supporting European clubs.

However, as stated in the immediate previous sub-topic, the issue of data is a problem not only for Nigerian football but also for African football, in general.

But according to data compiled by the Top Soccer Blog, a prominent African football blog site, below are the clubs with the most fans and this was collated by combining the number of followers on each team’s various social media accounts.

Source: Top Soccer Blog

Other clubs not on the list but equally deserve mention are:

• Tout Puissant Mazembe (TP Mazembe) of Congo;
• ASEC Mimosa of Cote d’ Ivoire;
• Espérance ST and Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia;
• Ismaily of Egypt;
• JS Kabylie of Algeria;
• Al-Hilal and Al-Merrikh of Sudan;
• Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak of Ghana; and
• Canon Yaounde of Cameroon.

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