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Thursday, May 4, marked 11 years since Nigeria lost Yekini, he died in Ibadan, Oyo State.
After 11 years of his demise, former Nigerian Super Eagles goal poacher, Rashidi Yekini, is still one of the strikers that Nigerians are always remembering in their daily activities.
Thursday, May 4, marked 11 years since Nigeria lost Yekini, he died in Ibadan, Oyo State.
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Yekini began his career as an apprentice welder in Kaduna after being born there on October 24, 1963, to Yoruba parents from Kwara State. His passion for football drew him from the workshop to the field, where he impressed scouts with his natural ability to score goals.
The world football governing body, FIFA's tribute reads, “The first player to score a #FIFAWorldCup goal for the @NGSuperEagles. We’ll never forget Rashidi Yekini’s passionate celebration.
“The man dubbed Nigeria’s ‘Goalsfather’ remains, by some distance, his country’s greatest and most prolific marksman. No one has even come close to matching his impressive haul of 37 strikes in just 58 appearances.
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19:44 - 07.09.2024
Victor Osimhen now 1 goal behind Segun Odegbami on the top 10 Super Eagles all-time highest goalscorers list [2024]
Victor Osimhen is expected to break Rashidi Yekini's record as the Super Eagles all-time highest goalscorer but which other football stars make the list?
"Yekini also specialized in historic goals, from the efforts that propelled Nigeria to their first FIFA World Cup and earned them a second African crown to, most famously of all, the one that opened their account at the global finals.
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After 11 years of Yekini's demise, here are the 11 moments of Rashidi Yekini;
- He scored Nigeria’s first goal at the FIFA World Cup.
- Yekini is Nigeria's all-time leading scorer with 37 goals in 62 appearances.
- He was crowned African Player of the Year in 1993, becoming the first Nigerian to take home the top individual honor on the continent after three decades of misses.
- He was the highest goal scorer in the Ivory Coast League in 1988, 1989, and 1990.
- He was the top scorer in the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 1993.
- He was named a member of the Order of the Niger in 1994.
- Yekini distinguished himself in Nigerian club teams like Shooting Stars, Gateway United, and Abiola Babes.
- He scored 80 goals in 100 appearances for the Abiola Babes between 1984 and 1987.
- He scored 112 goals in 130 games.
- Between 1990 and 1994, he competed for Vitoria Setubal of the Portuguese Division 1 in Europe, making 114 appearances and scoring 91 goals. In his final campaign with Vitoria Setubal, he also captured the Golden Boot.
- After the 1994 World Cup, he also played for the Spanish team Sporting Gijon and the Greek club Olympiacos before returning on loan to Vitoria Setubal.
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19:44 - 07.09.2024
Victor Osimhen now 1 goal behind Segun Odegbami on the top 10 Super Eagles all-time highest goalscorers list [2024]
Victor Osimhen is expected to break Rashidi Yekini's record as the Super Eagles all-time highest goalscorer but which other football stars make the list?
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