The game of football would probably be a borefest if goals are not scored and the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the black race are proud to have produced one of the greatest strikers to have played the game – Rashidi Yekini.
Veteran Nigerian journalist Mumini Alao coined the moniker “The Goalsfather” as Rashidi Yekini’s nickname while covering Nigerian players in Europe in the 1990s across Portugal, Belgium and The Netherlands.
Rashidi Yekini Yekini is Super Eagles record all-time top scorer, with 37 goals in 58 appearances
Victor Osimhen is the closest replica of Rashidi Yekini for those that did not get the opportunity to watch the legendary striker play when he was alive.
He remains an iconic figure in the history of Nigeria’s football as he scored the country’s first-ever goal in its maiden appearance of the FIFA World Cup in 1994.
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Rashidi Yekini scored the opening goal as Nigeria thrashed Bulgaria 3-0 and went on to hold the net while crying and saying some words.
Yekini’s celebration after scoring against Bulgaria, remains one of the most iconic images in the archives of the FIFA World Cup.
He led the Super Eagles to its second Africa Cup of Nations title in 1994. He finished as top scorer and was named player of the tournament.
This post follows how Rashidi Yekini grew from a difficult background to become the country’s greatest striker of all time.
Rashidi Yekini Background
The legendary striker was born in Kaduna, North Central Nigeria, but he is from the Yoruba tribe. His parents are from Kwara State, which is close to the Northern part of the country but predominantly occupied by the Yoruba tribe from the Southwestern part of the country. Rashidi Yekini didn’t start his life as a footballer but as an artisan.
How old is Rashidi Yekini
Rashidi Yekini was born on October 23, 1963 in Kaduna State. The striker would have been 62 years old this year if he were to be alive. Yekini died aged 48 in Ibadan in 2012 after a prolonged battle with illness. His legacy as Nigeria’s greatest striker lives on 12 years after his tragic death.
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Rashidi Yekini Height
The striker had a towering height and sheer power, which he used to his advantage. He was an intimidating figure on the pitch, especially for defenders who often struggle to pin him down. Rashidi Yekini was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed about 82kg during his active days.
Career
Rashidi Yekini, unlike some of his European counterparts, did not grow up kicking the ball or playing in an academy. Instead he started life as an apprentice. He was a craftsman (welder and mechanic) before venturing into football.
Yekini started his career in Kaduna with United Nigeria Textiles Limited football club. He played for the side between 1981 and 1982 before moving to Shooting Stars. Rashidi Yekini excelled at the club and led them to the final of the 1984 African Champions Cup which is now known as the CAF Champions League.
Rashidi Yekini’s potency in front of goal at Shooting Stars, where he scored 45 times in 53 matches, caught the attention of Abiola Babes. The striker joined Abiola Babes in 1984 and played until 1987 before moving to Cote D’Ivoire to play for African Sports.
The striker moved to the Portuguese Primeira Liga side Vitória de Setúbal in 1990. Rashidi Yekini unarguably had his best moments of his career in Europe at the club. He was revered at the Portuguese as he scored 91 goals in 114 matches during his first stint at the club. He finished as the league’s top scorer in his final season at the club.
Yekini had stints with Olympiacos and Sporting Gijon in Greece and Spain respectively between 1994 and 1996. The striker reportedly had a fallout with some of his teammates at Olympiacos which led to his departure after a year.
His second coming at Vitória de Setúbal in 1997 was unlike his first. Yekini was almost at the tail end of his brilliant career. He managed just three goals in 14 matches.
However, he had quite successful spells at FC Zurich in Switzerland where he scored 14 goals in 28 matches. Yekini played for CA Bizertin and Al Shabab as well. He made a return to African Sports in 1999 and played until 2002.
After several years playing in Europe, Rashidi Yekini returned to the Nigerian football scene in 2002 and played for two league sides, Julius Berger and Gateway United.
Osasu Obayiuwana, a veteran British-Nigerian journalist in a 2005 interview in Abeokuta asked Rashidi Yekini why he decided to play for the Nigerian teams.
“Hmmmm! If I think of what I was used to, in Europe, I wouldn’t even lace my boots in
… But I love football and wanted to play, so I am able to ignore the problems of Nigerian football and just play.”
Rashidi Yekini and Super Eagles Bromance
“There was a time I learnt that my [club] coach was complaining in the press that I went too often to play for Nigeria and that it affected his plans. Do you know what I told him? I told him nobody, repeat nobody, can stop me from playing for my fatherland. This is where my people love me not only because I score goals, but because I am their son. Even if Nigeria has a fixture against ants and cockroaches and I am invited, I will go and play.”
Rashidi Yekini’s commitment to the national team was unwavering. He gives his soul, body, and might on the pitch anytime he steps on the pitch for the Super Eagles. Yekini scored his first goal for the Super Eagles against Kenya in a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Nairobi. He also scored in the reversed fixture as Nigeria thrashed the Harambee Stars 6-1 on aggregate.
The striker was phenomenal for the Super Eagles at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. Rashidi Yekini finished the tournament as the Most Valuable Player and Topscorer with five goals. He scored twice in Super Eagles’ opening match against Gabon.
He also scored a brace in the quarter-finals against Zambia. Yekini’s final goal of the tournament came in the semi-finals as the Super Eagles edged Cote d’Ivoire 4-2 on penalties after the match ended 2-2 in regular time.
Yekini scored Nigeria’s first goal at the FIFA World Cup in 1994. He scored as the Super Eagles beat Hristo Stoichkov’s Bulgaria 3-0. His celebration after the goal, where he held on to the net saying “It’s me, It’s me,” remains one of the most iconic scenes of the World Cup to date.
Clemens Westerhof, the Super Eagles manager as of that time, told the media that the best of Yekini was yet to come.
“We have not yet seen the real Rashidi Yekini,” “It’s coming.”
Unfortunately, Rashidi Yekini did not score again for the Super Eagles till the team painfully crashed out after a 2-1 loss to finalist Italy in the second round.
Sunday Oliseh, Yekini’s teammate says Yekini was the real and only Superstar of the 1994 squad.
Yekini reportedly accused his teammates of not passing to him after the 2-1 loss to Italy. Oliseh revealed that they had been “beefs” between Yekini and the rest of the squad leading up to the tournament. He added that some members of the team were “madly, sickly, mentally jealous” of Rashidi Yekini’s sporting and financial success.
Career Achievements
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
- African Footballer of the Year: 1993
- Member of the Order of the Niger (1994)
Rashidi Yekini net worth
His net worth was pegged at about $5 million as of the time he died. Most of Rashidi Yekini’s earnings came from salaries and bonuses from the clubs he played for. He also earned from endorsement and personal business ventures.
Rashidi Yekini Wives and Children
His love life was somewhat complicated. He didn’t give out information about his relationship, but records reveal that he had three wives and three daughters, Yemisi, Omoyemi, and Damilola. His three daughters are based in the United States.
Social Media
Social media was not in vogue during Rashidi Yekini’s time. However, there is an unofficial Instagram account with over 3,000 followers.
Rashidi Yekini Death
When did Rashidi Yekini die? The striker sadly died on May 4, 2012. Rashidi Yekini died aged 48 after a prolonged battle with illness. His death came as a shock to Nigerian football fans, administrators, former players, as well as the entire country. He was regarded as a dedicated, disciplined, and passionate athlete that brought glory to the nation.
What caused Rashidi Yekini’s death?
Rashidi Yekini reportedly battled mental illness, bipolar disorder, leading up to his painful exit in 2012. Reports also suggest that members of his family forcefully took him away for treatment against his will. Later, Yekini’s mother revealed that her son wasn’t murdered but his siblings only took him for medical care as they tried to help me overcome his long battle with illness.
His lawyer had claimed that Rasdidi Yekini did not take care of his mother and family when he was alive. However, according to an investigation by Pulse Sports, the late footballer built a house for his mother – a two-storey building of four flats where his mother and his younger brother, Akeem, stayed.
