Thunderbolt: despite only playing three of 12 qualifiers, Obafemi Martins scored crucial goals to ensure Nigeria's presence in South Africa

Caps: 24
Goals: 15
World Cup appearances: None
World Cup 2010 qualification: 3 appearances/2 goals

Club: Wolfsburg, Germany
Age: 25
Position: Striker

The face – and the trademark somersaulting goal celebration – will be familiar to English fans. The diminutive Martins spent three seasons at Newcastle United, delighting St James’s Park with his electrifying bursts of pace and sublime finishing.

A sprint champion as a teenager in Nigeria, Martins brings a touch of class to the Nigerian front line, and boasts one of the hardest shots on record – a thunderbolt against Tottenham in 2007 was clocked at 84mph.

However, the team achieved qualification for the World Cup largely in his absence. Martins played in just three of Nigeria’s 12 qualifying fixtures due to injury, but returned for the final game against Kenya, coming off the bench at half time to score two goals and earn qualification.

Martins began his career in Italy, signing for Reggiana and later moving to Inter Milan in 2001. He was largely successful, scoring 28 goals in 88 games, but found himself edged out by Hernan Crespo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Newcastle signed him in 2006 for £10 million as a replacement for the retiring Alan Shearer and the injured Michael Owen, and he scored 17 goals in his first season at the club.

Subsequent seasons saw his opportunities limited, and he moved to Wolfsburg in the summer. Martins found the net on his debut and is one of the Bundesliga’s leading scorers with five goals.