Year 1994 was a special one for Nigerian
football. In a World Cup match against Bulgaria, Rashidi Yekini, top
Nigerian player, holder of African Footballer of the Year title, who scored
Nigeria’s first ever goal in the world’s most significant football
competition. With no doubts, at that moment 31-year-old Yekini was nicknamed
“The Goalfather” by fans and sports journalists.
Unfortunately, it was not going to happen. Yekini’s untimely demise under obscure circumstances on May 4, 2012, left a number of questions unanswered. Was it an accident or a deliberately organized murder? Why after three years since Yekini’s death no investigation has been initiated?
Story Highlights:
– Yekini’s role in helping Nigeria in 1994 Africa Cup of Nations where he also topped the goal charts and was named the best player of the competition was truly heroic.
– News media started drawing public attention to Rahidi’s deteriorating health in 2011 when he was said to suffer from a bipolar disorder, depression and some other undisclosed psychiatric conditions.
– It is a shame after three years since Yekini’s death there has not been a deliberate and conscientious effort to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death.
Rashidi Yekini’s iconic goal celebration in 1994 when he scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal was our first FIFA World Cup match against Bulgaria in Boston, USA. Unlike the other team members, Yekini ran into the posts, gripped the net with an intensity of a man overcome by the ecstasy of victory, and muttered the words nobody could hear.
Unfortunately, it was not going to happen. Yekini’s untimely demise under obscure circumstances on May 4, 2012, left a number of questions unanswered. Was it an accident or a deliberately organized murder? Why after three years since Yekini’s death no investigation has been initiated?
Story Highlights:
– Yekini’s role in helping Nigeria in 1994 Africa Cup of Nations where he also topped the goal charts and was named the best player of the competition was truly heroic.
– News media started drawing public attention to Rahidi’s deteriorating health in 2011 when he was said to suffer from a bipolar disorder, depression and some other undisclosed psychiatric conditions.
– It is a shame after three years since Yekini’s death there has not been a deliberate and conscientious effort to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death.
Rashidi Yekini’s iconic goal celebration in 1994 when he scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal was our first FIFA World Cup match against Bulgaria in Boston, USA. Unlike the other team members, Yekini ran into the posts, gripped the net with an intensity of a man overcome by the ecstasy of victory, and muttered the words nobody could hear.
Too Bad
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