Bunmi Ogunyale
The world football governing body, FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have showered encomium on late Rashidi Yekini, eight years after the legendary striker died.
The global football body via its twitter handle; @FIFAWorldCup wrote: “Rasheed Yekini produced one of the most iconic celebrations in #WorldCup history after scoring the Super Eagles first-ever goal in the competition.
“Africa sadly lost one of its greatest-ever players #OnThisDay in 2012, but his legend will live on eternally.”
In similar vein, the NFF remembered the gangling striker as one of the most feared forward in the world.
“Today, we remember one of the world’s most feared strikers of his time, Rashidi Yekini, who passed on to glory on this day in 2012. May his soul continue to rest in peace.”
One of the late striker’s daughters, Omoyemi Rashidi Yekini in a radio phone-in programme, reminiscence about the life and time of her father, saying he was caring to a fault.
The University of Ilorin graduate recalled that the striker usually take her bath while she was growing up. She also added that they had also jettisoned the idea of probing the mysterious death of the goal father.
Yekini’s lawyer, Jibril Olanrewaju Mohammed had, however, dispelled rumours that the former Victoria Setubal forward was mentally unstable before his death.
“Rashidi was mentality stable before his death. It was a concocted story by a newspaper reporter in Ibadan. He told me to sue the reporter and the organisation, but later said we should drop charges.”
