Seven years after, FIFA, NFF, Fans remember Nigeria’s football idol, Rashidi Yekini

Memories of Nigerian football legend, Rashidi Yekini, have continued to remain fresh not just for his fans , but also for football lovers across the world.

Seven years after he passed on, the world’s football governing body, FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) among others took to Twitter on Saturday to pay tributes to the 1993 African footballer of the year.

The ex- Super Eagles forward who was born in Kaduna State started his professional footballing career in the Nigerian league, before moving to Côte d’Ivoire to play for Africa Sports National.

Yekini,  also played for Portuguese side, Vitoria de Setubal, where he became the top goal scorer of the country’s first division in the 1993–94 Season, with 34 goals in 32 matches.

The first Nigerian to win the African Footballer of the Year also made his mark for Olympiacos FC, Sporting de Gijón, and FC Zürich, among others before returning to Africa where he later retired from international football.

Yekini is Nigeria’s highest scorer with 37 goals in 58 appearances, a record which is yet to be broken.

 

He is  Nigeria’s highest scorer with 37 goals in 58 appearances, a record which is yet to be broken.

Unfortunately, Yekini died in a private hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on May 4, 2012, at the age of 48.