The sudden death of , one of the greatest strikers to emerge from Africa, leaves more questions than answers as to what really happened to the 1993 African Footballer of the Year, writes Osasu Obayiuwana*, who knew Yekini personally With his imposing frame, gazelle-like speed and lethal accuracy in front of goal, Nigeria's inscribed his name into the pantheon of African football legends. Yekini was the first from his country to earn the prestigious CAF African Footballer of the Year award and is one of the all-time top scorers at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, scoring 13 goals at the 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1994 editions. Only Ivorian Laurent Pokou, with 14 and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, with 15, did better. Other accolades include being the first Nigerian to score a goal at the World Cup finals (in 1994), his country's all-time international goal scorer and one of the few strikers from the continent to emerge as a top scorer in a major European league -- with Vitoria Setubal in Portugal. As such, Yekiniís death in mysterious, inexplicable circumstances on Friday, 4 May in south-western Nigeria -- the exact place and cause of death remains unknown -- has thrown the entire fraternity into shock and grief. Only 48 years old when he died, Yekini was, interestingly, a shy, reserved person off the pitch who unashamedly revelled in his own company, leading many to question his state of mental health in the months and years leading to his death. Even for me, who knew him, pinning him down for another interview was an impossible task after our fascinating encounter in September 2005. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a television company in England, producing a series on the greatest goals ever scored at the World Cup finals, was desperate to profile him and asked me to arrange an interview in Ibadan, where he lived. But Yekini politely but bluntly refused. This untypical response flies in the face of the usual attitude of retired players, frightened of fading into the sunset of retirement. Having lost his father at a rather early age, Yekini told me about the hardships he endured as a youngster whilst growing up in Kaduna, northern Nigeria. "I was sleeping in all kinds of places and had no idea about how I was going to survive. It was a very hard life and it made me hard to really put my trust in anyone," he said. It was a rare glimpse into the inner recesses of Yekini's mind. Yekini started his football career playing for UNTL, a club owned by a textile company based in Kaduna. But Yekini did not get his big break in the Nigerian Championship until he moved to Ibadan, where he got a chance to play for the 1977 Africa Cup Winners Cup Champions, IICC Shooting Stars, now known as 3SC. He subsequently formed a unique on-field and personal relationship with another African legend, Segun 'Mathematical' Odegbami, whose career was ending as Yekini's was beginning to blossom. The duo's telepathic understanding during the 1984 African Cup of Champions' Clubs campaign (now renamed the African Champions League) earned them a ticket to the final, where they lost to Zamalek in Lagos. Odegbami, a former Nigeria captain, who was one of the last people to meet with Yekini before his untimely demise, describes him as an enigma. "Rashidi's life was totally and completely wrapped around a football. On the pitch, he came alive and shone like the midday sun. Outside it, he almost did not exist." Beginning his international club career with Ivorian side Africa Sport, Yekini remained an unpolished gem until his sojourn at Vitoria Setubal, the modest Portuguese first division outfit, where he evolved into the finished product, scoring an amazing 90 goals in 108 appearances for them. Emerging as the Portuguese league's top scorer in the 1993/1994 season, as well as winning the 1994 Nations Cup with Nigeria, where he was also the tournament's top scorer set the stage for Yekini's and indeed Nigeria's World Cup debut in the USA. But after making history by scoring Nigeria's first-ever World Cup goal, against Bulgaria, which came with that unforgettable net-shaking celebration, it would unbelievably be the last World Cup goal Yekini ever scored. He was unable to increase his tally at France '98. Returning to Nigeria, after playing in the Ivorian, Portuguese, Greek, Spanish, Swiss, Tunisian and Saudi Arabian leagues, Yekini stunned everyone by making a return to the Nigerian league in 2005, signing for Julius Berger and ending his club career with Gateway FC of Abeokuta in 2006. Following the end of his club career, Yekini stayed alone in his Ibadan house, shunning the company of old teammates, friends and family. But even in retirement, he never failed to train, daily, at the stadium. Before his death, Yekini was abducted from his home, reportedly by family members, who took him to an unknown location, where he subsequently was killed. It is an inexplicable, tragic tale that is left up to the police and judicial authorities to unravel. An African great, as Yekini undoubtedly was, deserved a more distinguished and peaceful end. * The writer is associate editor of NewAfrican, the London-based monthly magazine and a football match analyst for SuperSport, the Pan-African TV sports network.
