By Francis Ogwo
Encomiums have poured in by the apex body of global football FIFA, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and professionals of the round leather game, in honour of Nigeria born Rashidi Yekini, eight years after he died.
In a post on NFF’s official twitter handle, it said;
“Today, we remember one of the World’s most feared strikers of his time, Rashidi Yekini, who passed on to glory on this day, in 2012. May his soul continue to Rest In Peace,” the NFF wrote on its official Twitter handle.
Also eulogizing Rashidi, was FIFA, which posted on its World Cup Twitter handle, Yekini’s celebration, upon scoring Nigeria’s first goal in the competition in 1994. The world body described it as one of the most iconic goal jubilations in the tournament’s history.
“The first player to score a World Cup goal for the Super Eagles, his passionate celebration will always have its place in the history of the tournament,” FIFA wrote on its verified world cup Twitter handle.
“Rasheed Yekini produced one of the most iconic celebrations in #WorldCup history after scoring the @NGSuperEagles’ first-ever goal in the competition,”.
“Africa sadly lost one of its greatest-ever players #OnThisDay in 2012, but his legend will live on eternally.”
Rasheed Yekini produced one of the most iconic celebrations in #WorldCup history after scoring the @NGSuperEagles’ first-ever goal in the competition.
Tributes also came from his colleagues and teammates from the class of Tunisia 94, that many termed the best squad Nigeria ever produced.
Mutiu Adepoju and a former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, was nostalgic of their playing days.
Oliseh’s tweet read; “8 years ago today,we lost Nigeria’s greatest striker of all time in Rashidi Yekini. May his blessed soul rest in peace.”
The “Headmaster” Mutiu Adepoju who was working with his head and accentuating the magic from Yekini’s swift moves also tweeted.
“Whenever we seem down and defeated, you always conjure your magic wand and get us out of trouble with your goals,” he wrote. “It was never a dull moment with you in camp as everyone’s ribs would be cracked at your jokes.
“You were never a contentious person and you saw everyone as your brother not minding their backgrounds. I will never forget you. Nigerians will never forget you. Always in our hearts. Rest in peace, King Rasheed Yekini. You were created to score goals and your class remains unmatched!”
In loving memory of Rasheed Yekini #Legend #Immortality
— Mutiu Adepoju (@MutiuAdepoju8) May 4, 2020
Former Ghanaian defender, Anthony Baffoe, described the former Abiola Babes star as one of the continent’s most dangerous strikers.
“One of Africa’s most terrific strikers Rashidi Yekini -today marks his 8th year of leaving us. Continue resting in peace Rashidi.”
— Anthony Baffoe (@AnthonyBaffoe) May 4, 2020
Rashidi Yekini was born in Kaduna and picked football as a passion and hobby like other young boys of his age.
He suffered some resistance at his early stages by his mum who didn’t see any future in the game of football.
With some undauntedness, young Yekini kept the passion alive and joined the United Nigeria Textile Mills (UNTL) as a 16 year old, under the tutelage of some veteran coaches who made clubs like Kano Pillars, Ranchers Bees FC and other northern clubs make names in the history of the leagues.
In a video interview with veteran footballer and consultant, Segun Odegbami, Rashidi Yekini said he was invited for trials alongside two of his teammates with IICC and they couldn’t hide their excitements.
He went on to horne his skills as a terrific striker with IICC Shooting Stars in Ibadan. He got into the Nigerian league where he played for teams like Abiola Babes, Julius Berger, and Gateway.
He later played abroad for Africa Sports National of Ivory Coast from and later teamed up with Vitória de Setúbal in Portugal where he emerged as Primeira Liga’s top scorer in the 1993–94 campaign.
He scored 21 times during that season and went ahead to play for Sporting Gijon, Olympiakos, and FC Zurich.
Yekini debuted for Nigeria in 1984 and scored 37 goals in 58 matches which is currently the highest so far in the country’s football history until he retired after the 1998 World Cup in France.
Yekini in Senegal 1992 and Tunisia 1994 AFCONs, scored four and five goals respectively, to emerge as the top scorer.
Rashidi Yekini passed away on May 4, 2012 in Ibadan, Oyo State at the age of 48 but football enthusiasts even generations unborn will remember the two hands of an excited goal poacher stuck inside the nets of an opponent in a full expression of heroism and documented history.
