Rashidi Yekini was born in Kaduna on 23 October 1963.
After beginning his professional career in the Nigerian league, he moved to Côte d’Ivoire to play for Africa Sports National. From there, he transferred to Portugal, where he joined Vitória de Setúbal and enjoyed the most successful period of his career.
Yekini became the Primeira Liga’s top scorer in the 1993–94 season after scoring 21 goals. In the previous campaign, he had netted a career-best 34 goals in 32 matches, helping Vitória de Setúbal secure promotion from the second division. His outstanding performances earned him the prestigious African Footballer of the Year award in 1993, making him the first Nigerian to win the honour.
In the summer of 1994, Yekini signed for Greek giants Olympiacos, but his stay was short-lived due to difficulties settling in with the team. He later had spells with Sporting de Gijón in Spain, FC Zürich in Switzerland, Club Athlétique Bizertin in Tunisia, and Al-Shabab Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, before returning to Africa Sports. In 2003, at the age of 39, he returned to Nigeria to play for Julius Berger FC.
In April 2005, at the age of 41, Yekini made a brief comeback when he joined Gateway United FC alongside his former Super Eagles teammate, Mobi Oparaku.
Yekini remains Nigeria’s all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 37 goals in 62 appearances for the Super Eagles.
He represented Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. At the 1994 tournament in the United States, he scored Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal in a 3–0 victory over Bulgaria. His emotional celebration—grasping the goal net while crying—remains one of the most iconic moments in FIFA World Cup history.
Yekini also played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s triumph at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer and was named the Best Player of the competition. Earlier in his career, he represented Nigeria at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
His professional career spanned more than two decades, taking him across seven countries. Despite playing abroad for much of his career, Vitória de Setúbal remained the club most closely associated with his name. He represented Nigeria in seven major international tournaments, including two FIFA World Cups, and his legacy as one of Africa’s greatest strikers remains firmly intact.
In his later years, Yekini reportedly battled ill health. In 2011, Nigerian media reported that he was suffering from bipolar disorder, depression, and other undisclosed mental health conditions.
On 4 May 2012, Rashidi Yekini passed away in Ibadan at the age of 48. His death was confirmed by former Super Eagles teammates Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu. He was laid to rest at his residence in Ira, Kwara State. He was survived by his mother, brother, wives, children, and other family members.
Rashidi Yekini will forever be remembered as one of Nigeria’s greatest football legends—a prolific goalscorer whose name is etched permanently in the history of African football.
May his soul continue to rest in perfect peace. Amen.
— By Oluwafemi Omodara
