The Nigerian Fintech Starting XI

The World Cup starts today. It’s time to name the squad.

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This is a Notadeepdive x Fintech Is Easy crossover episode, which means two newsletters get to annoy you at once. If you missed the earlier comps — Afrobeats, Nollywood, the Premier League table — catch up.

The World Cup kicks off today, and the Super Eagles have saved my “2026 World Cup” group chat tens of thousands of dollars by not qualifying. No flights to book, no jerseys to buy, so we now have to contend with being disappointed by the serial chokers: the Netherlands, Portugal, England, Belgium. Pick your poison.

Even the Pope got in on the fun this week, reminding star players to pass the ball. So while we wait for Ronaldo’s first knockout-round goal, let’s name a squad we can actually trust: Nigeria’s fintech starting XI.

The rules are simple. Position matters, not just fame. A striker who can’t defend doesn’t go in defence, no matter how big the valuation. And as always, this is very unserious analysis.

We’re playing a 4-3-3.

GK — NIBSS

Every save in Nigerian fintech is actually a NIBSS save. The keeper is the one player who is never allowed an off day, because when this one goes down, the entire league stops. You have lived through those afternoons when transfers hang in the air like a Pickford clearance. One of the best real-time payment systems in the world is still waiting for its flowers. Keepers are used to that.

RB — Paga

The veteran fullback. Was patrolling the agent-banking flank before half this squad was incorporated. Doesn’t bomb forward much these days, but positionally flawless; you only ever notice a good fullback when he’s missing.

CB — Interswitch (captain)

The armband was never up for debate. Charting since 2002, profitable, and reads the game easily. The forwards are louder, but when the ball has to go through, it goes through Interswitch.

CB — GTBank

The defensive veteran. Was doing digital banking before half this squad had a CAC registration, and Squad shows the legs haven’t gone. Doesn’t chase the ball, doesn’t dive in; just stands where the danger is going to be and lets the danger embarrass itself. Banks aren’t supposed to make this team, but try taking GTBank off the pitch and see how the defence holds.

LB — Kuda

The modern attacking fullback: electric going forward, occasionally caught upfield with its lending play and routine downtime notifications. The UK move means it’s technically playing in Europe now. The talent is obvious; the defensive discipline is a work in progress.

CM — Moniepoint

The box-to-box engine. Covers every blade of grass — POS, payroll, lending, SME banking — wins every duel, and still posts big numbers at the end of the season. The unicorn valuation makes it the first name on the team sheet.

CM — Paystack

The deep-lying playmaker. Doesn’t run much, doesn’t shout, but every attack in this ecosystem flows through its passing range. Signed by a bigger club (Stripe) yet still moves like it’s independent. Zap is the attempt to add goals to all those assists but the jury’s still out on that one.

AM — Flutterwave

The mercurial number 10. On its day, the most gifted player on the pitch with global reach, big-stage pedigree, and highlight reels for days. Also leads the league in yellow cards, and the disciplinary record follows it from country to country. You start it anyway, because the ceiling is too high to leave on the bench.

RW — LemFi

The pacey winger is doing its best football abroad. Hugs the diaspora touchline, beats established cross-border remittance companies at their own game, and whips remittances into the box at rates and speeds that have everyone else suddenly demanding to play wide and do remittances.

ST — OPay

The poacher nobody admits to rating. “I don’t even use OPay,” you say, as it scores its 30th of the season. It’s in every box, on every street, topping every download and NIBBS NIP chart.

LW — Grey

The Lamine Yamal of the squad. Young enough that the veterans remember its debut, already confident enough to take on the adults — Stablecoins, the banks, multicurrency accounts, business banking, cross-border banking itself — and win in multiple markets. Moves money across the world like it’s a street game: tricks, nutmegs, features pulled out of nowhere. The scary part is the ceiling. It hasn’t even peaked.

The Super Sub

PiggyVest (the closer — comes on in the 70th minute to lock down whatever you’ve saved)

MANAGER — CBN

Tactical instructions arrive by circular, occasionally at half-time, sometimes reversing the instructions from the first half. Nobody knows the formation until the press conference, and even then. But say what you want: every player on this pitch is here because the gaffer licensed them to play.

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I’ve named my XI. Now do your worst in the comments: who got snubbed, who’s playing out of position, and who deserves the armband instead. If your favourite didn’t make the squad, that’s between you and the manager.

This belongs in the group chat. You know the one.