This remains the best (Nigeria's first goal in the World Cup)

The Libreville game. Man, I remember waiting late at night to watch the game.That goal was worth the wait.
But I also remember the near-misses from spectacular efforts in France 98 and Tunisia 94.
The bicycle kick vs Spain was unbelievable.I swore the guy had broken his hip given he musta been like 40 in that game.But he got up and soldiered on.
The shot that hit the cross bar at Tunisia 94 almost broke the goalpost.Legend had it that Ahmed Shoubair (Egypt's goalie and Afica's best at the time) boasted that Yekini would not score against him.He was lucky that the bar came to his rescue.The cross bar must have been deformed permanently after that.

Thank you Rashidi Yekini for the memories.We will never forget the good times you gave us.We look at today's crop of players and woefully observe that they are so far away from the standards you and your peers set for them.They are just a lazy bunch of over-rated prima-donnas.You were the true king of goals.
Adieu,Baba Ibadan

phemmyfour: Opening match sen 92. He scored the match winner

Opening match against Burkina Faso Keshi scored the winner

tarano: Amokachi is a selfish player...no wonder he sleeps at synagogue church...he should have pass the ball to Yekini back in that first clip against Bulgaria..

Some players turned against him after Tunisia 94 they decided not to pass to him

RIP Rashidi Yekini,may your soul rest in perfect peace!

Ibime: My favourite is his headed goal against Gabon simply because that was the first time I had my senses. I was a little too young during Senegal 92 and dont remember his goals although I watched the whole tournament with my dad.

The goal against Gabon was pure class. At that age, it was amazing to me that you could height the keeper and collect the ball on the other side.

The goal I celebrated the most was his goal against Bulgaria though, simply because that goal told us we had arrived on the World stage. It was the first time I was seeing Nigeria compete against World-level teams and ma heart was beating like mad until Yeking popped that goal.

RIP Yeking!

Agreed. Tunisia 94 was the first time I understood and enjoyed watching soccer/football, and that goal? PRICELESS. Senegal 92 was just a blur. The only thing I remembered was the final match and the emotions it generated.

His Greatest goal that never went in was the one against Egypt, mehn, I cried after the match 'cos in my competitive spirit I wanted us to win everything/everymatch and not winning against Egypt was unacceptable to my lil mind.

Anyway, May his soul rest in peace. He was a role model to many, never smoked, never dyed his hair or put on earrings or dreads. He was always himself! No fakeness none of that shyt. He always kept to himself, doing his hardest to bring happiness to many a Nigerian at a time when everything else in our national life, besides Football, was in shambles. He reminds me of Hakeem Olajuwon; very disciplined WRT his Muslim faith. Not one to womanize or espouse unnecessary flamboyancy.

milehigh06: cant remember what number the goal was but Nigeria 7-bukinafaso 0,yekini scored a magical goal from a very very impossible angle,good old days,never missed any of the games at the national stadium then when SE matches were like national rituals
trek from akoka all the way to surulere to get into the stadium via the tinnubu axis,scale the fence,watch SE demolish whoever they played,walk home from surulere with people u dont know but u are all talking about what SE just did
chai,good old times indeed

I think he scored 4 or 5 but goal number 6 was a SCREAMER

Katsumoto:

[size=18pt]He collected the pass with his ankle[/size]. I know because this and the goal against Algeria are the best goals.

I think the strike you are referring to is the pass from Okocha against Egypt, when he collected the ball on his chest with his back to goal, juggled the ball with his knee, turned and smashed a volley against the post. I remember cos my brain was very young and fresh.

Wrong! The goal DK is talking about was from an Oliseh assist. Oliseh was deep in the midfield on the right side and sent an overhead pass to Rashidi which he collected with his chest, not with his ankle. You just dont get tired of making shyt up, do you?

omar22:


Opening match against Burkina Faso Keshi scored the winner

Opening match in Senegal 92 was against Senegal

Siasia scored the first goal early then Jules Bocande equalised for Senegal off a Keshi mistake in defence
Keshi scored the winning goal to redeem himself

Even if i were young durin USA/94, I Can rememba dose days during france/98 very well, ur zeal & energy and dose Rashidi yekini ọmọ iyalagbado is a goal!!!! rhythm dat accompanied ur goals around dat Baba Dada white & black t.v.,hmmn,dose days wen d whole district'll palọlọ wen eagles r playing like there is a robbery strike,omaseoo RIP D BEST Nigerian striker,RIP RASHIDI YEKINI.

omar22:


Opening match against Burkina Faso Keshi scored the winner

Always get your facts right, B.faso was not in that group.In fact, bf did not qualify for CAN 92. The group had Senegal, Nig and Kenya
http://footballmundial.tripod.com/caf/caf_1992.htm

dayokanu:

If its about near goals then I think the one vs Egypt in Tunisia 94 would be among the best moves. Got a long pass on his chest, thighs and blasted it off the crossbar

Until then, that was about the most Fantastic thing I had seen on a pitch. That move is still fresh in my Mind

kombats: funny when u are dead how people start to talk gud abt u *smh*

This is why l hate those guys at the Football "Glass" House!
Imagine, they are just "administrators" but make much more money than the footballers themselves!

Why was Rashidi Yekini not rehabilitated?
I was watch TV and saw how the Brits still talk and carry their own Paul Gascoigne (Gaza!), despite his drug problems!
He was never allowed to rot-away because they still remember what he did for his country.

In Nigeria, its a case of "use and dump"!

If you ask me, Rashidi has contributed more ("happiness and self-sacrifice" to Nigeria than any of these scammers called Senators but look at the obscene salary they allocate to themselves, look at the treasury looting going on while the likes of our heroes like Yekini are allowed to die in poverty!

Whose next?
Do we wait till another one dies or are we going to search them out and tell them we appreciate them?
Will this govt help someone like Etim Esim? (Yes, the original bad boy but he is gifted o'boy!)

No wonder the likes of Miklel Obi will shun National call for club assignment?
I think the boy is smart, IMO.

(Shakes head in sadness)

Lastpage!

I definitely love the one which he wanted to tear the football net yelling all sorts.

Playing 4 Gateway FC of Ogun State in 2002, he scored an acrobatic kick in a NPL game @ d Gateway Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.
I & my Dad jumped up & screamed.
RIP our Goal Legend. ;-(

Okiki_Oluwa: Playing 4 Gateway FC of Ogun State in 2002, he scored an acrobatic kick in a NPL game @ d Gateway Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta.
I & my Dad jumped up & screamed.
RIP our Goal Legend. ;-(

Earlier this year Segun Odegbami wrote that Yekini never collected his salary while playing for Gateway and that the money is still there. The club was waiting for him to pick it up.

some of his misses were as impressive as his goals
1)his shot against egypt in TUNISIA 94 after controlling with his chest and juggling with his right thigh before unleashing a rocket that hit d crossbar
2)his shot against kenya(i think) in MAROC 88 that hit d crossbar and d pitch TWICE each before being tapped in by a team mate (humphrey edobor i believe).d keeper seemed transfixed or too scared to touch d ball as it bounced btw bar n floor

Yekini's goal against Cameroun in 92 nations cup match in senegal. It was a third placed match and Nigeria won by a lone goal. I think Ikpeba gave him the pass and Yekini dribbled Mekanaky and two other defenders to score.

I'm a son of the early 80's, so I am not ashamed to say I have lost the greatest Nigerian Hero I knew who inspired me all through my youth.

He meant more to me and a lot of my fellow agemates than a million Mikel Obis, a billion Obasanjos and a trillion Goodluck Ebele Johnathans will ever mean.

I will miss you, the greatest Nigerian Hero in my Lifetime.

Andro Blaze: I'm a son of the early 80's, so I am not ashamed to say I have lost the greatest Nigerian Hero I knew who inspired me all through my youth.

He meant more to me and a lot of my fellow agemates than a million Mikel Obis, a billion Obasanjos and a trillion Goodluck Ebele Johnathans will ever mean.

I will miss you, the greatest Nigerian Hero in my Lifetime.

+ 1000

Andro Blaze: I'm a son of the early 80's, so I am not ashamed to say I have lost the greatest Nigerian Hero I knew who inspired me all through my youth.

He meant more to me and a lot of my fellow agemates than a million Mikel Obis, a billion Obasanjos and a trillion Goodluck Ebele Johnathans will ever mean.

I will miss you, the greatest Nigerian Hero in my Lifetime.

Which of Yekini's goals do you consider the greatest?.This is a simple question.

My Yekini best goal was the goal against Algeria. Qualifier for 94 world cup. My Yekini best performance in a match was a friendly against England after the 94 world cup. He simply had d best performance in that match.

Andre Uweh:
Which of Yekini's goals do you consider the greatest?.This is a simple question.

Sorry oo, I felt like I could express my true feelings as this is a forum.

The one that meant the most to me was the USA 94 goal, the sincerity and beauty of that celebration is an image unrivalled in football and one I will probably cherish till I die. I still remember being confused and asking what is he doing, and my Uncle (then in his early 20s), with tears in his eyes screaming " he's praying, he's praying"!

But I would say I liked th QF goal against Tunisia a lot, which was pretty important and beautiful itself.

I have memories of Rashidi Yekini that go way back, farther than the 90s. He was brought from UNTL Kaduna to IICC Shooting Stars in 1983?? & was part of a terrific front four that terrorized defences all over Africa in the 1984 CAF Champions League. Others were Segun Odegbami, Wakilu Oyenuga & Felix Owolabi.

So I'm sorry if some of the goals I mention here go that far back and many can't remember them. His great goals in no particular order are:

1) His volley off a left wing pass from Wasiu Ipaye against Zambia at Algiers 90

2) His double shot for Abiola Babes on the continent against an African Team in '88. He took a long range shot which the keeper parried but he followed up with another thunderous shot that shook the net vigourously

3) His 2nd goal for Eagels against Ethiopia in a 1994 Nations Cup qualifier in Lagos. He took the ball over the keeper & when we all thought the ball was going out, he jumped forward & headed in the ball.

4) His long range freekick that beat Samba Brice & helped us beat Congo 1-0 in Brazzaville.

5) His freekick against Gabon in Nation Cup '94 that almost uprooted the crossbar.

6) His goal against S. Africa in Lagos 1st round '94 World Cup Qualifier. A long punt from Keshi in the defence, Siasia went in to jostle for the ball with the SA keeper & a defender, Yekini pulled back waiting for a rebound, he got it and took a terrific shot that made the net shake!

And so many more!

Great guy, great memories!

strangerf:

Wrong! The goal DK is talking about was from an Oliseh assist. Oliseh was deep in the midfield on the right side and sent an overhead pass to Rashidi which he collected with his chest, not with his ankle. You just dont get tired of making shyt up, do you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKcQumNLssQ


Watch the clip and tell me what part of the body Yekini used in controlling the long ball from Oliseh.

Strangerf 0 - Katsumoto 15

I will trounce your ar.se in history and politics; now you can add football to it. You are officially my bit.ch.

Now that I had said that, you are back on ignore until I feel like kicking your dirty ar.se again.

The missile against Gabon at Tunisia '94 no doubt, but most of his goals were truely spectacular. Our present strikers must be wondering how he did all that.

The first goal in the world cup at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. I also remember playing pick up games with him at the old Olubadan Stadium and Liberty Road field ...My brother was a very good friend of his

So I was wrong, perhaps I was confused because i watched it on a black and white. That said, we all agree, he didnt use his ankle.

Sign Rashidi Yekini condolence register here
https://www.nairaland.com/930763/rashidi-yekini-condolence-register

dayokanu: This is a tribute to Our own Gangling Goalsfather Rashidi yekini

Which of his goals do you consider the best?

I know most people remember him scoring Nigerias first ever world cup goal but which of his goals do you consider the best.

Top among his goals

1. The blinder of a free kick scored vs gabon in the Sandy pitch at Libbreville

2. The goal vs Algeria in the 1993 qualifier in Lagos where he scored from almost the corner flag. Nigeria came back from a goal down to win 4-1.

3. Our first goal in Tunisia 1994 where he received a long ball from Oliseh, Lobbed the keeper and slotted it in. Nigeria won 3-0

4. Quarter finals Tunisia 1994 where he received a long raking pass from Oliseh Chested it and in one movement blasted into the net. Nigeria won 2-0

5. 3rd place match vs Cameroun in 1992 where he rounded the Camerounian keeper from almost the Half way and slotted into the net from a tight angle. Nigeria won 2-1


Kindly add any of his goals you remember

the goal against zambia in algiers 90(semifinals).
it was a long diagonal cross and yekini met it with one of the most audacious volleys you would see.
outstanding tekkers, nigeria won 2-0!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZHOnbWoCk8

start @ 1.05 secs

phemmyfour:
Opening match in Senegal 92 was against Senegal

Siasia scored the first goal early then Jules Bocande equalised for Senegal off a Keshi mistake in defence
Keshi scored the winning goal to redeem himself

I know Jules Bocande equalized but i forgot that Nigeria snatched the last ticket off B Faso when we won 7-1 (remembered that we had to cut the track suit bottoms as shorts because the kit didnt arrive)

Always get your facts right, B.faso was not in that group.In fact, bf did not qualify for CAN 92. The group had Senegal, Nig and Kenya

Coming from someone who said Yekini scored in that match...