AFCON 2025
Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, popularly known as “The Yak,” has reflected on his early days in Nigeria, recalling how his determination and love for football took him from playing barefoot on the streets to becoming one of the Premier League’s top African scorers.
Born on November 22, 1982, in Benin City, Edo State, Yakubu grew up in modest surroundings where football was more than just a pastime.
“Growing up where you play in the streets with no football shoes, I was lucky enough to buy my own shoes now, it’s quite tough for us who grow up in Africa,” Yakubu shared in an interview with Sky Sports.
He added, “I remembered when my daddy said I need to go to school and I was football is my passion, initially he didn’t buy into the idea in the first place.”
Despite that, his talent quickly caught attention, leading him to play for Nigerian clubs Julius Berger and Gateway United before earning a move abroad.
Yakubu’s breakthrough came at Maccabi Haifa in Israel, where his prolific goal-scoring earned him a move to England. He went on to shine in the Premier League with Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers, scoring 96 goals — the second-highest total by an African player in the competition’s history.
