Rashidi Yekini
Nigerian footballer (1963–2012)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rashidi Yekini ⓘ (23 October 1963 – 4 May 2012) was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. Yekini is widely regarded as one of the greatest Nigerian footballers of all time and one of the greatest players from the continent of Africa.[1][2] Powerful, fast, and clinical in front of goal.[3][4] His emotional World Cup celebration became one of the most iconic moments in Nigerian sports history. He was known by his Nigerian team mates and fans as "The Goals Father", he scored more than 480 goals in over 670 games in his career.[5][6]
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 October 1963 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kaduna, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 4 May 2012 (aged 48) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Ibadan, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | UNTL Kaduna | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1984 | Shooting Stars | 53 | (45) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1987 | Abiola Babes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Africa Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Vitória Setúbal | 114 | (91) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Olympiacos | 4 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Sporting Gijón | 14 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Vitória Setúbal | 14 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Zürich | 28 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | CA Bizertin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Al Shabab | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Africa Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Julius Berger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Gateway United | 26 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 253 | (165) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1998 | Nigeria | 58 | (37) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.[7][8] He is the third all time highest goalscorer in Africa Cup of Nations history with 13 goals.[9]
Club career
Yekini was born in Kaduna, of Yoruba origin.[10] 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;[11] 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.[12]
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;[13] 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.[14]
In April 2005, 41-year-old Yekini made a short comeback, moving alongside former national teammate Mobi Oparaku to Gateway United.[14]
International career
Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria in 58 appearances,[15] Yekini is the national record goalscorer. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. In the 1994 tournament, he scored Nigeria's first-ever World Cup goal in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria; his celebration, crying while holding the net, became one of the iconic images of the competition.[16]
Additionally, Yekini helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, where he topped the goal charts and was named player of the tournament.[17] He also represented Nigeria at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
International goals
Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Yekini goal.[15]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 April 1985 | Nairobi, Kenya |  Kenya | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 20 April 1985 | Lagos, Nigeria | Kenya | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1986 World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 23 June 1985 | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |  Ivory Coast | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 26 June 1985 | Bouake, Ivory Coast | Ivory Coast | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 5 | 14 March 1988 | Rabat, Morocco | Kenya | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1988 African Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 5 March 1990 | Algiers, Algeria |  Egypt | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1990 African Cup of Nations |
| 7 | 8 March 1990 | Algiers, Algeria | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1990 African Cup of Nations |
| 8 | 12 March 1990 | Algiers, Algeria |  Zambia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1990 African Cup of Nations |
| 9 | 27 July 1991 | Lagos, Nigeria |  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 | Kenya | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1992 African Cup of Nations |
| 14 | 2–0 | |||||
| 15 | 19 January 1992 | Dakar, Senegal |  Zaire | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1992 African Cup of Nations |
| 16 | 25 January 1992 | Dakar, Senegal |  Cameroon | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1992 African Cup of Nations |
| 17 | 10 October 1992 | Lagos, Nigeria |  South Africa | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 4–0 | |||||
| 19 | 20 December 1992 | Pointe-Noire, Congo |  Congo | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 25 April 1993 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Sudan | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1994 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 21 | 2 May 1993 | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 3 July 1993 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Algeria | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 3–1 | |||||
| 24 | 24 July 1993 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Ethiopia | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1994 African Cup of Nations qualification |
| 25 | 3–0 | |||||
| 26 | 5–0 | |||||
| 27 | 25 September 1993 | Lagos, Nigeria | Ivory Coast | 3–1 | 4–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 28 | 4–1 | |||||
| 29 | 26 March 1994 | Tunis, Tunisia |  Gabon | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1994 African Cup of Nations |
| 30 | 3–0 | |||||
| 31 | 2 April 1994 | Tunis, Tunisia | Zaire | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1994 African Cup of Nations |
| 32 | 2–0 | |||||
| 33 | 6 April 1994 | Tunis, Tunisia | Ivory Coast | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1994 African Cup of Nations |
| 34 | 11 June 1994 | Ibadan, Nigeria |  Georgia | 2–1 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 35 | 3–1 | |||||
| 36 | 21 June 1994 | Dallas, United States |  Bulgaria | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 37 | 22 February 1998 | Kingston, Jamaica |  Jamaica | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
Honors
Shooting Stars
- CAF Champions League runner-up: 1984
- Nigerian Premier League: 1983
Abiola Babes
- Nigerian FA Cup: 1985, 1987
Africa Sports
- Côte d'Ivoire Premier Division: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1999
- Côte d'Ivoire Cup: 1989, 2002
- Coupe Houphouët-Boigny: 1987, 1988, 1989
Al Shabab
- Crown Prince Cup: 1999
Nigeria
- African Cup of Nations: 1994; runner-up: 1984, 1988, 1990; third place: 1992
- CSSA Nations Cup third place: 1987
- CEDEAO Cup: 1990
- World Team of the Year: 1996
- African National Team of the Year: 1993, 1994
Individual
- African Cup of Nations best player: 1994
- African Cup of Nations top goalscorer: 1992, 1994
- African Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1992, 1994
- CAF Golden Jubilee Best Players poll
Personal life
Death
Yekini was reported to be ill for an extended period of time. In 2011, news media in Nigeria began 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, aged 48.[7] His death was confirmed by former national teammates Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu,[20] and he was buried at his residence in Ira, Kwara State,[21] in the presence of family members.[18][19]
