Ask anyone who has closely followed the EFL Championship and they’ll tell you it’s a beast. Forty-six games, endless midweek battles and a promotion race that never lets up. Yet through it all, some Nigerian players have thrived and smashed in goals to help the cause of their various clubs.
Some of these players went on to enjoy Premier League glory, while others became legends in England’s second tier itself. Either way, they all left unforgettable memories. In this piece, Footynaija.com counts down the 10 greatest Nigerian goalscorers in EFL Championship history.
10. Shola Ameobi – 12 Goals (Stoke City, Cardiff City, Notts County)
A Newcastle United cult hero in the Premier League, Ameobi also had his share of EFL Championship action. He first dipped into the second tier with a loan at Stoke City back in 2008, where his physical presence and hold-up play gave defenders nightmares.
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Later spells at Cardiff City and Notts County saw him chipping in with valuable goals, even as injuries hampered his consistency. Ameobi may not have had the flashiest numbers, but his ability to drag defenders around and open spaces for teammates made him more than just a goalscorer.
9. Josh Maja – 15 Goals (Sunderland, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion)
Josh Maja came through Sunderland’s academy and quickly became a fan favourite with his clinical finishing. His breakthrough 2018/2019 season in League One earned him a move to Bordeaux, but he later returned to the EFL Championship with Stoke and now West Brom.
The bulk of Maja’s tally came from the 2024/2025 season when he scored 12 goals in 26 EFL Championship appearances. He finished as the Baggies’ top scorer last season despite seeing his season cut shut by a calf injury.
8. Danny Shittu – 18 Goals (Queens Park Rangers, Watford, Millwall)
Shittu was a mountain of a defender, but he also had a knack for popping up with goals, mostly from set pieces. He started at QPR in the early 2000s, where he developed a reputation for his crunching tackles and thumping headers. At Watford, he was part of a promotion-winning squad, scoring vital goals along the way.
Later, at Millwall, his leadership at the back and occasional strikes further cemented his cult status. Few defenders have combined defensive steel with such regular goalscoring in the EFL Championship quite like Shittu.
7. Semi Ajayi – 18 Goals (Cardiff City, Rotherham United, West Bromwich Albion)
Another defender with a scoring touch, Ajayi deserves his flowers. After coming through Arsenal’s youth system, he really found his footing at Rotherham, where his powerful runs from deep and aerial threat made him one of the stars of the team.
At West Brom, he took things to another level, chipping in with crucial goals during promotion pushes. His versatility enables him to play as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, making him a reliable figure for both club and country.
6. Nathan Tella – 18 Goals (Burnley, Southampton)
Tella’s 2022/2023 season with Burnley was the stuff of dreams. On loan from Southampton, he lit up the EFL Championship with 17 goals, becoming one of Vincent Kompany’s main attacking weapons as Burnley stormed to the title and secured Premier League promotion.
His pace, dribbling and composure in front of goal gave Clarets fans a season to remember. Though he returned to Southampton after the loan, Tella’s one-season blitz in the English second division ensures his name remains etched in Burnley’s history.
5. Odion Ighalo – 20 Goals (Watford)
Before he was banging goals in the Premier League and later in Saudi Arabia, Ighalo was tearing up the EFL Championship with Watford. Signed in 2014, he scored 20 goals across 35 appearances in the second tier.
His link-up play with Troy Deeney was such an enjoyable sight on the pitch, and his sharp finishing helped fire the Hornets into the Premier League. That one season was short but spectacular, a proof of just how lethal Ighalo could be when given the chance.
4. Seyi Olofinjana – 22 Goals (Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City, Hull City, Sheffield Wednesday)
A midfielder with an eye for goal, Olofinjana’s EFL Championship journey took him across multiple clubs. At Wolves, he was a box-to-box engine, chipping in with vital strikes as they pushed for promotion.
He later played at Cardiff, Hull and Sheffield Wednesday, always bringing a mix of power and composure in midfield. Scoring 22 goals in over 200 games from midfield is no small feat and Olofinjana’s consistency kept him in demand across the league.
3. Sone Aluko – 24 Goals (Birmingham City, Hull City, Fulham, Reading, Ipswich Town)
Aluko was the kind of winger who could change a game in an instant. At Hull City, he was part of the side that won promotion to the Premier League, dazzling fans with his dribbling and creativity.
His spells at Fulham and Reading also saw him provide a steady stream of goals and assists. Over nearly 200 EFL Championship appearances, Aluko racked up 24 goals, numbers that only tell part of the story, because his ability to stretch defenses and create chances made him a constant threat.
2. Ade Akinbiyi – 37 Goals (Stoke City, Leicester City, Burnley)
Akinbiyi was built for the physical demands of the EFL Championship. After a rollercoaster Premier League spell, he found his groove in the second tier, banging in goals for Stoke and Burnley.
His strength and aerial ability made him a nightmare for defenders, and while his goal tally might not jump off the page by today’s standards, Akinbiyi’s impact was huge. He was a true workhorse striker, and fans respected him for the sheer effort he poured into every game.
1. Dele Adebola – 50 Goals (Birmingham City, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City)
Over a career spanning more than a decade in the division, Adebola scored 50 goals across four clubs. At Birmingham, he was a reliable target man; at Coventry, he carried much of the attacking load during tough seasons.
His time at Nottingham Forest and Bristol City also saw him notch double-digit goals, often bullying defenses with his strength and hold-up play. Adebola might not have been the flashiest striker, but he was consistent, durable and above all, effective.
For Nigerian players in the EFL Championship, Adebola set the benchmark.
