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Popularly called ‘Yeking’ in his hay days, he was one of the few players that sent cold sweat down the spines of their opponents whenever his name was mentioned. He had only 58 caps for his country and scored 37 goals, an average of 0.637 goals per match.
His achievements in the field of play earned him the ‘African Footballer of the Year’ award in 1993, making him the first Nigerian to achieve that feat. He consistently remained among the top scorers in all the Africa Cup of Nations tournaments he attended.
He had a wonderful professional career where he played in the Nigerian, Portuguese, Greek, Spanish, Swiss, Ivorian and Saudi Arabian leagues. Of particular interest was his scoring 34 goals in 32 matches for Vitoria Setubal to emerge the top scorer in the Portuguese League in the 1993/94 season.
He had lived a secluded life since he was divorced in 1994; he lived with his two children and few tenants in his house at Ibadan in western Nigeria. It was even reported in the media later that he had run mad and was roaming the streets of Ibadan though no one could really verify the authenticity of the report.
The former African Footballer of the year died on Friday 4th may 2012 at a private hospital in Ibadan at the age of 48 years. He was buried in his home town Ira, Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara state in the North Central part of Nigeria.
He would fondly be remembered by football supporters in Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the globe where he plied his trade as a professional footballer. May his gentle soul rest in the bosom of the Almighty God. Adieu Rasheed Yekini.
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