While his contemporaries like Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia, Augustine Eguavoen, Mike Emenalo, Sunday Oliseh and Ben Iroha have coached our National teams or are currently employed by the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) and European football clubs, Rashidi Yekini has been reclusive and has shunned government appointments. No one knows where he is at any given time. Though it is clear that he lives in Ibadan, he has refused to speak to journalists who have tried to interview him several times. A pressman who tried to fix a meeting with Yekini at his residence through his ex team-mate was shocked as the goals king refused to open the gate. Yekini also told his friend to stop bringing journalists to his house. So why is Yekini, who scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal against Bulgaria at USA 94 deliberately staying out of public view?

AMEBOR can authoritatively reveal that Yekini is still playing his hide and seek game with Nigerians. He has refused to respond to the NFF’s request that he should submit his International Passport so that his visa to South Africa can be processed. The football body had chosen Yekini as an Ambassador to the 2010 World Cup alongside former national team coach, Christian Chukwu, ex Eagles player, Garba Lawal, Amodu Shuaibu and Tijani Yusuf, former Secretary General of the NFF. Since he hung his boots in 2005 after playing for local teams like Julius Berger FC and Gateway Football Club of Abeokuta, the 46 year old has been minding his own business. Several reasons have been given for Yekini’s hatred of publicity.

There are speculations that the Kaduna born former Eagles forward has problems with some of his national team colleagues. We’ve always heard of the conspiracy among a clique in the 1994 Super Eagles who refused to pass the ball to Yekini. It is said that the clique disliked his extravagant celebration after he scored against Bulgaria in the team’s opening match. Yekini did not score again at the USA 94 World Cup. The rumor mills maintain that the clique also made him irrelevant at the 1998 World Cup in France. Yekini might not want to cross paths with members of the clique, as some of them will be in Mandela’s country next month for the global soccer fiesta.

Then there is the General Sani Abacha connection. After the Nations Cup in Tunisia in 1994, Yekini had scored 13 goals and was aiming to break the 14 goals record held by Laurent Pokou of Cote di Voire. His desire to quash Pokou’s record at South Africa 96 was dashed to pieces as Abacha stopped the Eagles from attending the tourney because of his stand-off with Nelson Mandela. Nigeria was subsequently banned from the next Nations Cup in Burkina Faso [ 1998 ]. By 2000, when Nigeria hosted the cup with Ghana, Yekini was past his prime. Samuel Eto Fils of Cameroun went on to break the record Yekini had set his eyes on. Yekini is said to be licking the wounds of the disappointment secretly till date. Some soccer analysts are also saying Yekini’s lack of formal education might be preventing him from mixing with his colleagues who are more exposed than him. He is reported to be running a hotel called Liberty Motel on Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State. However, he hardly mixes with people and keeps to himself. Sources say he does not have many friends in the ancient city.

We at Amebor.Com feel that Rashidi Yekini needs to come out of his cocoon and participate in national football activities. He also needs to talk to the press so that he can dispel rumors being circulated about him. Most importantly, Yekini, who remains Nigeria’s highest goal scorer with 34 goals to his credit, needs to take his rightful place in the country’s Football Hall of Fame. Staying in the shadows might lead to him being denied this accolade.

Tagged as: Football, nigeria, Rashidi Yekini, Soccer, Sport