FIVE YEARS AFTER: Nwanu Fondly Remembers ‘Funny’ ‘Great Guy’ Yekini

By Izuchukwu Okosi:

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Former Super Eagles defender Chidi Nwanu has reminisced about the time he spent in the national team camp with late Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini who died on May 4, 2012, Completesportsnigeria.com reports. 

 

Yekini, the 1993 African Footballer of the Year, was in the same Eagles side that made their debut at the FIFA World Cup in 1994 with Nwanu.

 

"It is sad that a good man like Rashidi Yekini is gone. He was a great footballer, one of the very best in Africa when he played," former Anderlecht defender Nwanu told Completesportsnigeria.com on Thursday, the fifth anniversary of Yekini's unfortunate passing.

 

"We spent some time in the national team camp in Holland and at the World Cup in the United States and I got to know that he was funny. He had good sense of humour but was a serious person as a footballer.

"We lost Yekini, Stephen Keshi and Thompson Oliha in recent years. I was shocked the way they died. We don't question God but my prayer with the families of these heroes is that they don't lack.

"Playing for Nigeria was massive and the likes of Yekini made the world respect Nigeria as a football country. He scored Nigeria's first World Cup goal as well so he was a great guy. May his soul continue to rest in peace."

Yekini fondly remembered for the iconic goal celebration against Bulgaria in the 3-0 win at USA '94, was born on 23 October 1963 and won the 1994 African Cup of Nations with Nigeria in Tunisia. 

He was also in Nigeria's squad at the 1998 World Cup in France. The prolific striker played for clubs in Africa like Shooting Stars, Abiola Babes (Nigeria) and Africa Sports (Cote d'Ivoire). In Europe,  he played for clubs like Vitoria Setubal (Portugal) and Olympiakos (Greece).