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YEKINI'S Show Too Big Too Weaar by Olufemi99(f): 3:52pm On Apr 13, 2016 |
The wait goes on. Rashidi Yekini scored a remarkable 37
goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria, having made his
national team debut in 1984 at the age of 20. Within a
decade, he had netted 30 international goals, but since his
departure Nigeria has failed to produce a 25-g0al striker,
despite numerous talents been dubbed as the 'New Yekini'.
In this feature, Dami Ugbane reviews the top 10 forwards
who tried and failed to break the Eagles' scoring record.
1) Benedict Akwuegbu, Caps: 30, Goals: 8, Debut: v. Tunisia,
Jan 2000: Nicknamed the 'Austrian Bomber' following his
exploits at Grazer AK of Austria. He made his national
team debut, age 25, at the 2000 Cup of Nations. Despite
his flourishing club career, Akwuegbu struggled to hold
down a permanent spot in the national side during a five-
year career, that included a place in the 2002 Fifa World
Cup squad. He averaged 0.27 goals per game.
2) Julius Aghahowa, Caps: 32, Goals: 14, Debut: v. Morocco,
Jan 2000: Aghahowa broke onto the international scene at
17 and looked totally unstoppable when in full flight, bailing
out the Eagles regularly with his crucial strikes, netting an
impressive six goals in his first two Afcons, and Nigeria's
solitary goal at the 2002 World Cup. He looked like the real
deal, but injuries denied Nigerians the opportunity to see
more of those cartwheel goal celebrations. He last played
for Nigeria against Ghana in 2007. He averaged 0.44 goals
per game.
3) Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Caps: 57, Goals: 21, Debut: v. Eritrea,
April 2000: The Yak made his debut at 17 and is Nigeria's
third all-time highest goalscorer. Yak was very prolific in
the opposition area, but many prefer to remember that
incredible miss against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup.
Incredibly, Yakubu is the only Nigerian player to hit the 20-
goal mark for the national team since Yekini achieved that
feat in April, 1993. He averaged 0.37 goals per game.
4) Victor Agali, Caps: 12, Goals: 5, Debut: v. Zambia, Jan
2001: Close in physical appearance to the departed Yekini,
Agali certainly looked the part, scoring on his debut against
Zambia. He was excellent in the air and bagged five goals
in his first year with Nigeria, but that was the end of his
goalscoring streak. Agali failed to get going at the 2002
Afcon and missed out on the World Cup. His international
career ended in disappointment in 2004, as he was sent
home from the Afcon in Tunisia. He averaged 0.42 goals
per game.
5) Bartholomew Ogbeche, Caps: 11, Goals: 3, Debut: v.
Paraguay, March 2002: Ogbeche made his debut at 17, on
the eve of the World Cup and looked like the next big thing,
having recently been promoted to the first team at Paris St
Germain. He never truly got going, despite a resurgence in
2004. He probably never had a successful international
career due to early exposure and the weight of expectation,
which weighed him down. At the age of 31, he continues to
bang in the goals in the Eredivisie. He averaged 0.27 goals
per game.
6) Obafemi Martins, Caps: 41, Goals: 18, Debut: V. Rep.
Ireland, May 2004: Fast, fearless, skilful, strong and
prolific, Oba looked like the new Nigerian goal king. His
influence began to dwindle by 2007, as he rarely made
appearances due to injuries, club commitments, and
fallouts with coaches. His potential wasn't properly
managed, and Nigeria lost a potential world-class forward.
Yet to formally announce his international retirement, but
at 31 and playing in China, it's hard to envisage a
triumphant return. Averaged 0.44 goals per game
7) Ikechukwu Uche, Caps: 46, Goals: 19, Debut: v.
Macedonia, Aug 2007: Another genuine talent that could
have buried Yekini's record. Ike was a decent striker,
scoring six goals before he sustained career-threatening
injuries in 2009 and 2010. Between October 2009 and
March 2011, he played just one international game due to
injuries. He bounced back in 2011, scoring eight goals in
that calendar year. Sadly, in 2014, for the second time in
his career he missed out on the World Cup, despite being
Nigeria's top scorer in Europe's major leagues. He
averaged 0.41 goals per game.
Michael Eneramo, Caps: 10, Goals: 3, Debut: v. Jamaica,
Feb 2009: Eneramo was largely regarded in several
quarters as the 'New Bull'. He made his debut at 23, after
several successful seasons at Esperance of Tunisia after
being persuaded to drop his threats of playing for the
Carthage Eagles. He never convinced when given an
opportunity to showcase his abilities and was unfairly
dropped from the 2010 Cup of Nations team. Averaged 0.3
goals per game.
9) Emmanuel Emenike, Caps: 37, Goals: 9, Debut: v. Sierra
Leone, Feb 2011: Emenike made his debut at 23, but
initially failed to settle into the team, as there were always
issues about his attitude. He led Nigeria to her third Afcon
in 2013, top scoring with four goals. It was a prolific year
for Emenike, but he failed to score in his last nineteen
games for the Eagles, a barren run that surely played a
part in his decision to call it a day with the national team,
October 2015. He averaged 0.24 goals per game.
10) Odion Ighalo, Caps: 9, Goals: 2, Debut: v. Uganda, March
2015: Nigeria's current leading man made his debut on the
back of a successful campaign in the Championship with
Watford and has continued his impressive form this
season. He is just two goals shy of Yakubu's EPL goal
record in a single campaign, but has struggled to find any
scoring rhythm for Nigeria. Only time will tell if Odion can
finally end the search for a new Yekini. He averages 0.22
goals per game.
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