Rashidi Yekini

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Infobox football biography Rashidi Yekini (23 October 1963 – 4 May 2012) was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. Known by his Nigerian team mates and fans as 'The Goals Father', he scored over 480 goals in over 670 games in his career.[1][2] He is the third all time highest goal scorer in AFCON history with 13 goals.[3]

Yekini scored 37 goals in international matches and represented Nigeria in seven football tournaments including two World Cups where he scored the country's first-ever goal in the competition. He was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.[1][2]

Club career

Yekini was born in Kaduna, of Yoruba origin.[3] After starting his professional career in the Nigerian league, he moved to Ivory Coast to play for Africa Sports, and from there he went to Portugal and Vitória de Setúbal where he experienced his most memorable years, eventually becoming the Primeira Liga's top scorer in the 1993–94 season after scoring 21 goals;[4] the previous campaign he had netted a career-best 34 in 32 games to help the Sadinos gain promotion from the second division, and those performances earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year once, the first ever for the nation.[5]

In the summer of 1994, Yekini signed for Greek club Olympiacos, but did not get along with teammates and left soon after. His career never really got back on track, not even upon a return to Setúbal which happened after another unassuming spell, in La Liga with Sporting de Gijón;[6] he successively played with FC Zürich, CA Bizertin and Al Shabab, before rejoining Africa Sports. In 2003, aged 39, he returned to the Nigerian championship with Julius Berger.[7]

In April 2005, 41-year-old Yekini made a short comeback, moving alongside former national teammate Mobi Oparaku to Gateway United.[7]

International career

Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria in 62 appearances,[8] Yekini is the national record goalscorer. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 (where he netted Nigeria's first-ever goal in a World Cup, in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria, his celebration after scoring, crying while holding the goal's net, became one of the iconic images of the tournament[9]) and the 1998 FIFA World Cups.

Additionally, Yekini helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia where he also topped the goal charts and was named best player of the competition.[10] He also participated at Olympic level in Seoul 1988.

International goals

Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yekini goal.[8]
List of international goals scored by Rashidi Yekini
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 6 April 1985 Nairobi, Kenya File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 3–0 3–0 1986 World Cup qualification
2 20 April 1985 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 2–0 3–1 1986 World Cup qualification
3 23 June 1985 Abidjan, Ivory Coast File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 1–1 Friendly
4 26 June 1985 Bouake, Ivory Coast File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 1–1 Friendly
5 14 March 1988 Rabat, Morocco File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 1–0 3–0 1988 African Cup of Nations
6 5 March 1990 Algiers, Algeria File:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt 1–0 1–0 1990 African Cup of Nations
7 8 March 1990 Algiers, Algeria File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 1–0 1–0 1990 African Cup of Nations
8 12 March 1990 Algiers, Algeria File:Flag of Zambia.svg Zambia 2–0 2–0 1990 African Cup of Nations
9 27 July 1991 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg Burkina Faso 1–0 7–1 1992 African Cup of Nations qualification
10 3–1
11 4–1
12 6–1
13 14 January 1992 Dakar, Senegal File:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya 1–0 2–1 1992 African Cup of Nations
14 2–0
15 19 January 1992 Dakar, Senegal File:Flag of Zaire (1971–1997).svg Zaire 1–0 1–0 1992 African Cup of Nations
16 25 January 1992 Dakar, Senegal File:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 2–1 2–1 1992 African Cup of Nations
17 10 October 1992 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of South Africa (1982–1994).svg South Africa 3–0 4–0 1994 World Cup qualification
18 4–0
19 20 December 1992 Pointe-Noire, Congo File:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Congo 1–0 1–0 1994 World Cup qualification
20 25 April 1993 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan 1–0 4–0 1994 African Cup of Nations qualification
21 2 May 1993 Abidjan, Ivory Coast File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 1–0 1–2 1994 World Cup qualification
22 3 July 1993 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria 2–1 4–1 1994 World Cup qualification
23 3–1
24 24 July 1993 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg Ethiopia 2–0 6–0 1994 African Cup of Nations qualification
25 3–0
26 5–0
27 25 September 1993 Lagos, Nigeria File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 3–1 4–1 1994 World Cup qualification
28 4–1
29 26 March 1994 Tunis, Tunisia File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon 1–0 3–0 1994 African Cup of Nations
30 3–0
31 2 April 1994 Tunis, Tunisia File:Flag of Zaire (1971–1997).svg Zaire 1–0 2–0 1994 African Cup of Nations
32 2–0
33 6 April 1994 Tunis, Tunisia File:Flag of Côte d'Ivoire.svg Ivory Coast 2–2 2–2 1994 African Cup of Nations
34 11 June 1994 Ibadan, Nigeria File:Flag of Georgia (1990–2004).svg Georgia 2–1 5–1 Friendly
35 3–1
36 21 June 1994 Dallas, United States File:Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 1–0 3–0 1994 FIFA World Cup
37 22 February 1998 Kingston, Jamaica File:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica 1–0 2–2 Friendly

Honors

Shooting Stars

Abiola Babes

Africa Sports

Al Shabab

Nigeria

Individual

Personal life

Yekini married three wives. He had three daughters, named Yemisi, Omoyemi and Damilola.[11][12]

Death

Yekini was reported to be ill for an extended period of time. In 2011, news media in Nigeria begun issuing reports of his failing health, and he was said to suffer from bipolar disorder and some other undisclosed psychiatric condition. He died in Ibadan on 4 May 2012 at the young age of 48,[1] the news being confirmed by former national teammates Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu;[13] he was buried at his residence in Ira, Kwara State.[14] He was surrounded by his aged mother, brother, wives and children, among others.[11][12]

References

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  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Nigeria: Legendary footballer, Rashidi Yekini dies at 48 Script error: No such module "webarchive".; All Africa, 5 May 2012
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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