Rashidi Yekini


Rashidi Yekini was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. Yekini is widely regarded as one of the greatest Nigerian footballers of all time. Powerful, fast, and clinical in front of goal. 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.
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. He is the third all time highest goalscorer in Africa Cup of Nations history with 13 goals.

Club career

Yekini was born in Kaduna, of Yoruba origin. 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; 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.
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; 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.
In April 2005, 41-year-old Yekini made a short comeback, moving alongside former national teammate Mobi Oparaku to Gateway United.

International career

Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria in 58 appearances, Yekini is the national record goalscorer. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 [FIFA World Cup|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.
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. He also 1988 Summer Olympics|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.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
16 April 1985Nairobi, Kenya3–03–01986 [FIFA World Cup qualification |1986 World Cup qualification]
220 April 1985Lagos, Nigeria2–03–11986 World Cup qualification
323 June 1985Abidjan, Ivory Coast1–1Friendly
426 June 1985Bouake, Ivory Coast1–1Friendly
514 March 1988Rabat, Morocco1–03–01988 African Cup of Nations
65 March 1990Algiers, Algeria1–01–01990 African Cup of Nations
78 March 1990Algiers, Algeria1–01–01990 African Cup of Nations
812 March 1990Algiers, Algeria2–02–01990 African Cup of Nations
927 July 1991Lagos, Nigeria1–07–11992 African Cup of Nations qualification
1027 July 1991Lagos, Nigeria3–17–11992 African Cup of Nations qualification
1127 July 1991Lagos, Nigeria4–17–11992 African Cup of Nations qualification
1227 July 1991Lagos, Nigeria6–17–11992 African Cup of Nations qualification
1314 January 1992Dakar, Senegal1–02–11992 African Cup of Nations
1414 January 1992Dakar, Senegal2–02–11992 African Cup of Nations
1519 January 1992Dakar, Senegal1–01–01992 African Cup of Nations
1625 January 1992Dakar, Senegal2–12–11992 African Cup of Nations
1710 October 1992Lagos, Nigeria3–04–01994 [FIFA World Cup qualification |1994 World Cup qualification]
1810 October 1992Lagos, Nigeria4–04–01994 FIFA [World Cup qualification |1994 World Cup qualification]
1920 December 1992Pointe-Noire, Congo1–01–01994 World Cup qualification
2025 April 1993Lagos, Nigeria1–04–01994 African Cup of Nations qualification
212 May 1993Abidjan, Ivory Coast1–01–21994 World Cup qualification
223 July 1993Lagos, Nigeria2–14–11994 World Cup qualification
233 July 1993Lagos, Nigeria3–14–11994 World Cup qualification
2424 July 1993Lagos, Nigeria2–06–01994 African Cup of Nations qualification
2524 July 1993Lagos, Nigeria3–06–01994 African Cup of Nations qualification
2624 July 1993Lagos, Nigeria5–06–01994 African Cup of Nations qualification
2725 September 1993Lagos, Nigeria3–14–11994 World Cup qualification
2825 September 1993Lagos, Nigeria4–14–11994 World Cup qualification
2926 March 1994Tunis, Tunisia1–03–01994 African Cup of Nations
3026 March 1994Tunis, Tunisia3–03–01994 African Cup of Nations
312 April 1994Tunis, Tunisia1–02–01994 African Cup of Nations
322 April 1994Tunis, Tunisia2–02–01994 African Cup of Nations
336 April 1994Tunis, Tunisia2–22–21994 African Cup of Nations
3411 June 1994Ibadan, Nigeria2–15–1Friendly
3511 June 1994Ibadan, Nigeria3–15–1Friendly
3621 June 1994Dallas, United States1–03–01994 FIFA World Cup
3722 February 1998Kingston, Jamaica1–02–2Friendly

Honors

Shooting Stars
Abiola Babes
Africa Sports
Al Shabab
Nigeria
Individual
Yekini married three wives. He had three daughters, named Yemisi, Omoyemi and Damilola.

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. His death was confirmed by former national teammates Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu, and he was buried at his residence in Ira, Kwara State, in the presence of family members.