African football legend, Rashidi Yekini may have left this sinful world since May 4, 2012, but his impacts are unforgettable in the world of football and are well registered with the ‘Lord’ of soccer.
Born in Kaduna on October 23 1963 into a poor Yoruba family, Yekini struggled greatly in his cost of becoming.
Yekini started as a welder and mechanic before he found his way around football.
His football career started on a low profile.
His football career started with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) Kaduna.
The legendary striker then joined IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan. He later moved to the defunct Abiola Babes before he joined Africa Sports of Cote d’Ivoire.
Yekini then moved to Europe afterwards and joined Victoria Setubal in Portugal. His performance with the Portuguese club earned him the 1993 Africa Footballer of the Year award — becoming the first Nigerian to win the honour.
He played for clubs in Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia before returning to the Nigerian league, where he featured for Julius Berger FC and Gateway FC before calling time on his career in 2005.
Yekini was a key player of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) in Tunisia.
Rashidi Yekini’s legacies in soccer globally, no doubt remains one etched in the hearts of millions.
Despite his death, Yekini remains the all-time highest scorer in the history of Nigeria’s national soccer team, having netted a record 37 goals from 62 appearances for the Super Eagles.
The legendary striker emerged as the African Player of the Year in 1993, thereby becoming the first Nigerian to win the continent’s prestigious individual award after three decades of misses.
Yekini scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal in the history of the FIFA World Cup after netting in the country’s 3-0 victory over Bulgaria in their opening group game at USA 1994.
The late striker was the top scorer in the Portuguese Primeira Liga in the 1993–94 season after finding the back of the net 21 times to win the Golden Boot in his last season with Vitoria Setubal.