Google celebrates late Super Eagles striker Yekini on 60th posthumous birthday

Image: Daily Post

Google has paid tribute to the former Super Eagles forward, Rashidi Yekini, on what would have been his 60th birthday, even after his passing.

The tech giant commemorated the late legendary striker by featuring a special doodle in his honor. Yekini tragically passed away in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on May 4, 2012, at the age of just 48.

The doodle began with a bio about the iconic striker: “Today’s Doodle celebrates iconic Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, an accomplished forward nicknamed the “Goalsfather” for his ability to sneak shots by the keeper. On this day in 1963, he was born in Kaduna, Nigeria.

“The beginning of Yekini’s life was difficult as he faced homelessness and poverty. To make money, his first jobs were a welder and mechanic, but his true goal was to pursue football. He soon began playing in front of scouts and in 1981, he joined his first football club, UNTL FC, in Kaduna.

“The talented striker played for the Shooting Stars next, scoring an impressive 45 goals in 53 games. His spectacular scoring abilities earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1983, and he was the first Nigerian player to receive this honor. The next year, he helped bring the Shooting Stars to the finals of the African Champions Cup.

“Outside of Nigeria, he also played for football clubs in Spain, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Tunisia, Switzerland, and Greece. While playing for a Portuguese team called Vitória Setúbal, he won the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) for being the league’s top-scoring player in the 1993-94 season.

“Happy birthday, Rashidi Yekini!“

Yekini is widely acknowledged as one of Nigeria's finest strikers, leaving an indelible mark in the world of football. The former Vitoria Setubal player from Portugal played a pivotal role in Nigeria's historic qualification for its first-ever World Cup in 1994.

He also achieved the distinction of being the top scorer at the Senegal 1992 and Tunisia 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Furthermore, Yekini etched his name in history as the first Nigerian to score a goal in the World Cup.

Source: dailypost.ng

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