Whenever his name is mentioned what quickly comes to mind is his iconic celebration in 1994, when he scored Nigeria’s first ever world cup goal against Bulgaria in our first outing at the FIFA world cup game in Boston, USA. Quite unlike how goals are celebrated collectively by a team, Yekini ran into a post gripped the net with an intensity that could only have been mustered by a man overcome by the ecstasy of winning and the joy of fulfillment, and muttered words that no one ever heard or knew till this day. Born in the City of Kaduna on 23th Oct, 1963. Rashidi Yekini who played as a striker scored 37 goals in his 58 appearances for this great country. His exploit and commitment to both club and country stood him out among his peers. His role in helping Nigeria in the 1994 Africa cup of Nations where he also topped the goal charts and was named best player of the competition was truly heroic and will not be forgotten in a hurry.
Loading ...The former African footballer of the year who started his career and ended same in the Nigerian league was reported to be ill for an extended period of time. The media started reporting of his deteriorating health in 2011, and he was said to suffer from a bipolar disorder of some sort, depression and some other undisclosed psychiatric conditions. His fade from public and national appearances was narrated from different angles and his mysterious death in Ibadan on 4th May 2012 at the age of 48, only acerbated the stories. One version of the stories about his death said he was mentally unstable and his family, in a quest for a cure from native healers, ended up accidentally harming him. This report was initially told by his neighbours and was corroborated in a newspaper interview by his lawyer, Muhammad Olarewanju. According to Olarewanju “Yekini was forcefully taken out of his house by people who claimed to be ‘healers’ and was kept under their watch for about three weeks” As the story goes, Yekini was held under the most dehumanizing condition.
Another version asserted that Yekini was never insane, he merely suffered from acute depression as a result of some financial lose. His being antisocial solitary lifestyle further fuelled the rumor about his mental state. In all, the neglect by his colleagues, the NFF and the government made matters worse. Either Yekini actually had mental problems or he was merely depressed, there is a lot about his death that didn’t seem right. it is a shame that years after his death there has not being a deliberate and conscientious effort to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the soccer icon. Yekini deserves inquiry into his death and also justice, where applicable. His numerous fans and admirers should know what and or who killed him. Did he actually died of natural causes or the people who where toying to cure him made some mistakes which led to his death, and what lessons might we all learn from all these?
By not doing anything concrete about the death of Yekini Nigeria and Nigerians betrays him and his exploits for this country. Four years after his demise no deliberate effort has been made either by the NFF, the Kwara State government or the Federal Government to immortalize the national Soccer hero. No one cares about the wellbeing of his Kids and family, not even his former colleagues. A visit to his grave site, his residence in Ibadan and his home in Ira, Kwara State shows that the buildings hasn’t only being deserted, but has been taken over by wide animals as the environments can be best likened to a thick bush. The Kwara State Government has betrayed Yekini’ memory, the Federal Government has betrayed his exploits and the NFF has betrayed all that Yekini represents.
Hussain Obaro…oseniobaro@yahoo.com…08065396694…ilorin-kwara state
