Rashidi Yekini
Personal information
Full name	Rashidi Yekini
Date of birth	October 23, 1963 (1963-10-23) (age 46)
Place of birth	Kaduna, Nigeria
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Retired
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1981–1982 1982–1984 1984–1987 1987–1990 1990–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 1999 1999–2002 2002–2003 2005	UNTL Kaduna Shooting Stars Abiola Babes Africa Sports Vitória Setúbal Olympiacos Sporting Gijón Vitória Setúbal FC Zürich Bizerte Al-Shabab Africa Sports Julius Berger Gateway	- (-) - (-) - (-) - (-) 108 (90) 4 (2) 14 (3) 14 (3) 28 (14) - (-) - (-) - (-) - (-) - (-)
National team
1986–1998	Nigeria	70 (37)[1]
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Rashidi Yekini (born October 23, 1963 in Kaduna) is a former Nigerian footballer, who played as a striker.

[edit] Early life

Yekini was born in Kaduna to a Ghanaian father and Nigerian mother^[2].

[edit] Club career

After starting his career in the Nigerian league, Yekini moved to Côte d'Ivoire to play for Africa Sports National. From there he went to Portugal and Vitória de Setúbal, where he experienced his most memorable years, eventually becoming the Portuguese first division's top scorer, in 1993–94, as his performances earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1993, the first ever from the nation.

After the 1994 World Cup, Yekini was bought by Olympiacos CFP, but did not get along with teammates and left. His career never really got back on track, not even upon a return to Setúbal. He successively played with FC Zürich, Club Athlétique Bizertin and Al-Shabab (Saudi Arabia), before rejoining Africa Sports. In 2003, Yekini, at 39, returned to the Nigerian Championship was back in the Nigerian championship, now with Julius Berger.

In 2005, 41-year old Yekini made a short comeback, moving alongside former national teammate Mobi Oparaku to Gateway FC.

[edit] International career

Scoring 37 goals for Nigeria's national side, in 70 appearances, Yekini is the national record goalscorer. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 FIFA World Cup (where he scored Nigeria's first ever goal in a World Cup, in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria) and the 1998 World Cup.

Additionally, Yekini also helped win the 1994 African Nations Cup, where he also topped the goal charts, and participated at Olympic level, in Seoul 1988.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• BDFutbol profile

Nigeria squads v • d • e Nigeria squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Rufai • 2 Eguavoen • 3 Iroha • 4 Keshi • 5 Okechukwu • 6 Nwanu • 7 George • 8 Oliha • 9 Yekini • 10 Okocha • 11 Amuneke • 12 Siasia • 13 Ezeugo • 14 Amokachi • 15 Oliseh • 16 Agu • 17 Ikpeba • 18 Ekoku • 19 Emenalo • 20 Okafor • 21 Adepoju • 22 Agbonavbare • Coach: Westerhof v • d • e Nigeria squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Rufai • 2 Oparaku • 3 Babayaro • 4 Kanu • 5 Uche • 6 West • 7 Finidi • 8 Adepoju • 9 Yekini • 10 Okocha • 11 Lawal • 12 W. Okpara • 13 Babangida • 14 Amokachi • 15 Oliseh • 16 Okafor • 17 Eguavoen • 18 Oruma • 19 Iroha • 20 Ikpeba • 21 G. Okpara • 22 Baruwa • Coach: Milutinović

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