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Tag: Yekini

  • Remembrance: Lawal, Adepoju recall  moments with  Yekini

    Remembrance: Lawal, Adepoju recall  moments with  Yekini

    Former  Nigeria internationals  Garba Lawal and  Mutiu Adepoju  have recalled their  moments with  late Rasheed Yekini  whose  posthumous 60th   anniversary   was held yesterday.

    Lawal said Yekini was his idol  and happy he played alongside the  star player he used to  watch with awe at UNTL, Kaduna, adding his joy knew no bounds when he got the chance to play alongside the ‘gangling  striker’  in the Super Eagles  between 1997 and 1998.

    “Rasheed Yekini was my idol while still a teenager. He played for UNTL, Kaduna because he was born and bred there. He was one of the team’s best players and as a youngster i was filled with joy to learn the trade from him,” Lawal told our correspondent.

    “He was very humane. And he was also very humble and always willing to make sacrifices for the good of all. He was our hero.

    “It was no surprise when he left UNTL, Kaduna for Shooting Stars, the person that recommended to the Ibadan club, Sani Nagogo changed the name of his club to Shooting Stars of Ade because of his love for Yekini.”

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    Yekini was born on October 23rd , 1963 but died on May 4th , 2012.

    Speaking on  his posthumous 60th  birthday, Adepoju said the late Kwara State-born attacker was a through bred professional both on and off the pitch, adding  there was no dull moments around Yekini because of his jovial disposition.

    “It is very unfortunate that Yekini is gone and we can only celebrate his fond memories. He had to be celebrated posthumously because he could have been 60 years today (yesterday),” Adepoju told our correspondent. “We will continue to wish him well in death. He was very jovial and fun to be around. He was committed too to a fault. He was a great professional. We will continue to miss him.”

  • Yekini Foundation picks date to honour Salami

    Yekini Foundation picks date to honour Salami

    Rashidi Yekini Foundation has concluded plans to honour the 2015-2016 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL)’ highest goal scorer, Gbolahan Salami on December 3 during an event slated for the media centre of  the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.

    Cash incentive of N100,000 and one of the soccer boots used by the late ‘Goal-King’ would be presented to the Warri-Wolves striker who netted 17 goals to emerge top.

    The event, according to the counsel to the late Yekini,  Jubril Olanrewaju Mohammed who is also a member and spokesperson of the Yekini Foundation is in fulfillment of the pledge made by the foundation to institute an award for the NPFL top scorer in memory of the late Super Eagles’ legend, Rashidi Yekini who died more than three years ago.

    The first daughter of Yekini, Mariam that is schooling at Leicester University United Kingdom, according to the lawyer and the second one, Yemisi that had just gained admission to study law in the University of Ilorin are expected to grace the event and present the award to the winner.

    “The main objective of the foundation is to etch the name ‘Yekini’ in the sand of times, because we have come to realise that, it won’t be easy organising a memorial event for him annually, but instituting an award in our league where my late client had recorded the highest goals severally and also with the national team would be more logical”, the counsel noted

    Other dignitaries expected at the event include the colleagues of the late Yekini, officials of Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), Ibadan based ex-internationals and well-wishers.

  • Tournament in honour of Yekini coming

    The Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko, on Monday said the league organising body was very close to the official unveiling of the Rasheed Yekini trophy.

    In a statement in Abuja, Dikko said the award would be for the highest goal scorer in the 2014/2015 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    “It is part of the NPFL Awards which the LMC board approved at its meeting in June,’’ he said.

    Dikko explained that the decision to name the trophy after one of Nigeria’s most prolific forwards was to immortalise the former Super Eagles forward.

    “The award was chosen by the board as a route to immortalise the player who scored a total of 37 goals in 58 appearances for the country and demonstrated exemplary character and commitment throughout his career,’’ he said.

    The LMC board chairman said also that there was a broad plan to institute awards and honour outstanding players, officials, key stakeholders and fans in the league.

    He said this would be at the end of every season.

    “There are a number of factors that led us to reach the decision to name one of these awards, that of the highest goal scorer, after the late Yekini.

    “The awards is part of strategic plans of the LMC to create commercial value and additional revenues out of the assets inherent in the league property.

    “We considered the aspiration factor which seeks to let the players know that they too can become national heroes if they achieve excellence and make a success of their career.

    “It says to them that they too can become legends of the game and the society will honour them as we have sought to honour the late Yekini,’’ Dikko further explained.

    The LMC board chairman disclosed that a monetary incentive and other social benefits would be attached to the awards.

    “In the case of the highest goal scorer award, we have received a request from the Rasheed Yekini Foundation to provide additional cash support to the winner and we are studying their proposal,’’ he said.

    Dikko said also that there were already plans to officially unveil the special trophy for this award at one of the league game venues.

    He said the NPFL Awards was a long-term project of the LMC and was open to corporate sponsors in both headline and other supporting categories.

    “Some corporate firms are already holding talks with the LMC on their potential participation in the NPFL Awards,’’ the board chairman said.

    Yekini started his football career with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) FC of Kaduna.

    He later teamed up with the then IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan and finally the defunct Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta.

    Yekini then moved to Cote D’Ivoire where he joined Africa Sports, before moving to Europe.

    Born on Oct. 23, 1963, the one-time African Footballer of the Year died on May 4, 2012.

  • Organisers Of Yekini’s memorial thank Police

    Counsel to the late Rashidi Yekini, Jibril Mohammed has given big kudos to the leadership of Nigerian Police, Oyo State Command CP Mohammed Indabawa, over the role they played during the recently held one year memorial anniversary in honour of the goal king.

    The legal practitioner, while reviewing the activities which started with a book launch and lecture, followed by a testimonial match the following day at Lekan Salami Sports Complex singled out the police for commendation for its role that contributed to the event’s success.

    “Although the attendance at the event was quite disappointing but we must not fail to recognize the role of the Police especially at the book launch, aside that, they came with their band to entertain people, they also brought an anti bomb squad and their presence in the hall even outnumbered other guests.

    “I must thank Mrs. Roselyn Dickson, a deputy superintendent of Police who led their men to the venue on the first day and Mr. Akin Oridoye, a superintendent of Police that fortified the stadium with a large number of mobile policemen on match day, the development that put the minds of the ex-internationals to rest”, Jibril noted.

    He however, rued the low acceptance of the book written in honour of the deceased which has not sold up to 15percent.

    Apart from the proceeds made from the book that will go to the ‘Rashidi Yekini Foundation’, which was formed to cater for the children that the late Super Eagles Striker left, according to Jibril who authored the book, “the book will also provide answer to many questions that surrounded the controversies that trailed the life and death of Yekini”.

  • ONE YEAR REMEMBRANCE: Portugese side Setubal hit Ibadan for Yekini

    ONE YEAR REMEMBRANCE: Portugese side Setubal hit Ibadan for Yekini

    All things being equal, high powered representatives of Portuguese premier league side Vitoria Setubal will hit Ibadan the Oyo State capital for the first year anniversary remembrance of the late former Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini billed for Friday.

    The nation’s all-time highest goal scorer died in Ibadan on May 4, 2012 at the age of 48 and was interred the next day in his home town in Irra, Oyun Local Government in Kwara State.

    Yekini whose goal at the USA 1994 World Cup remains evergreen in the minds of most soccer loving Nigerians played for the Portuguese side in 1997, making 14 appearance for the side and scoring three goals.

    The club reportedly in an e-mail promised to mobilise their officials and ex-players to grace the occasion which will see former Super Eagles stars, especially those who played alongside Yekini, file out for a testimonial match under the umbrella of Lagos All Stars versus Ibadan All stars.

    Representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are also expected to put up appearance.

    Yekini’s lawyer and planner of the one-year remembrance programme, Barrister Jubril Mohammed Olanrewaju had earlier confirmed that NFF last weekend sent two sets of jerseys and balls to the Rashidi Yekini Foundation in order to properly kit the ex-internationals and Yekini’s former teammates, who would play at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

  • NBA threatens to take over Yekini’s case

    NBA threatens to take over Yekini’s case

    After a long wait without pleasing results, the Nigeria Bar Association, Oyo State branch, has signified interest to wade into the investigations surrounding the death of late Super Eagles’ striker, Rashidi Yekini.

    The was revealed to newsmen in Ibadan yesterday by the Yekini’s Lawyer, Barrister Mohammed Olanrewaju Jibril who claimed he had been blocking his professional body (NBA) that had shown interest in taking over that case right from the onset.

    He explained that NBA has begun to inquire why nothing tangible has been done in exposing the true circumstances that surrounded the untimely death of the football hero.

    Jibril said the reason he had been preventing his body from dabbling into the case was that of the family of his client who are likely going to be the prime suspect in the case going by all the available facts generated so far.

    The Lawyer, however, explained that although the family had brought the death certificate of the deceased but he still alleged that, “the death certificate has not really clarified other important things like where was Rashidi Yekini between the Monday he was reportedly whisked away from his abode till the Friday he was rushed to the hospital where they claimed he died?

    “From my personal investigations after receiving the death certificate, the doctor who signed it insisted that he had not done anything serious as regards the medical check-up on Yekini before he died when he was rushed into his clinic.

    “I have been keeping quiet and hesitating on pressing charges on the family because I don’t want to be seen inflicting more pains on them after losing their son. But I won’t be able to stop any pressure group that may want to investigate the matter to a logical conclusion.

    “I have told them before now and I am using this medium again to appeal to Yekini’s family to come out openly and apologise to the whole Nigeria and the world at large over their attitude and on the mistake they made as regards the treatment meted on my client.

    “It is my belief that the family was misled by some misleading report they might have read in the newspapers concerning the sanity of my client. Rashidi was their son but he was my client too. He was a hero recognized worldwide, so he should not be treated like just a commoner,” Jibril explained.