Why Was Yekini So Special? (Updated wrt Osimhen)

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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by Ipe Grams »

john12 wrote:OBAGOAL was as good as YEKINI I just don’t know what happened to that guy. Maybe, we should stop encouraging players dancing around in camp
No he wasn't.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by bigbrovar »

We should also remember that Yekini was a late bloomer on the national and international stage. And he came at an era when Europe was just getting opened to African Players. Yet over 90 goals in a 100 games is no small fit. He single handedly took Setuba to elite division and still went on to top the Portuguese first division with 24 goals IIRC. For the national team yekini single handed dragged us to the world Cup and ensured we won the nation Cup by scoring over 70% of our goals in the lead to the final. He was the first ever Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year a git not even Odegbami could manage. This drop in form had a lot to do with age, personal family crisis and even jealousy in the Super Eagles. Westerof is on record to have said some players where jealous of yekini and would refuse to pass the ball to him... By 94 Yekini was at his peak but the drop in form was not far off. He never repeated the fit. It is sad he only scored one goal for us but it is befitting that he would be the one to score our very first goal in the world Cup. Even when he scored very few players ran to him to celebrate.. It took a defender who ran from the back to go give him a tap in the back for the goal after his iconic celebrations were
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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bigbrovar wrote:We should also remember that Yekini was a late bloomer on the national and international stage. And he came at an era when Europe was just getting opened to African Players. Yet over 90 goals in a 100 games is no small fit. He single handedly took Setuba to elite division and still went on to top the Portuguese first division with 24 goals IIRC. For the national team yekini single handed dragged us to the world Cup and ensured we won the nation Cup by scoring over 70% of our goals in the lead to the final. He was the first ever Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year a git not even Odegbami could manage. This drop in form had a lot to do with age, personal family crisis and even jealousy in the Super Eagles. Westerof is on record to have said some players where jealous of yekini and would refuse to pass the ball to him... By 94 Yekini was at his peak but the drop in form was not far off. He never repeated the fit. It is sad he only scored one goal for us but it is befitting that he would be the one to score our very first goal in the world Cup. Even when he scored very few players ran to him to celebrate.. It took a defender who ran from the back to go give him a tap in the back for the goal after his iconic celebrations were
Yekini won his first Eagles cap @ 20.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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john12 wrote:OBAGOAL was as good as YEKINI I just don’t know what happened to that guy. Maybe, we should stop encouraging players dancing around in camp
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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ukwala wrote:I don't think it is fair to compare Ighalo's (or any other striker's) performance in the WORLD CUP with Yekini's performance at lower levels. At the World Cup, Yekini was not great too, in fact I remember vividly the sitter he missed against Italy after Emenalo had put it on a plate for him. Yekini took us to the 1994 WC with his goals in the qualifiers and brought us back with his misses in the big dance. This may be controversial but I believe Nigeria has never had a true world class player, you know a Real Madrid / Barca / Bayern level player, a top 10 WPOY nominee. Not Yekini, not Jayjay, not Kanu.
Yekini's record at the World Cup was one goal (Bulgaria) and three assists (Amokachi vs. Bulgaria, Siasia vs. Argentina, Lawal vs. Spain). This is objectively better than Ighalo's World Cup record. And I feel like mentioning that Yekini's goals qualified us for the World Cup, while Ighalo's lack of goals was partly responsible for our failure to qualify for the Nations Cup.

I have my opinions on the term "world-class" .... but as a fan of the Eagles, I've never really worried about whether any of our players were qualified to wear the tag. I've long thought that if a day ever came when Nigeria approached the possibility of trophy-challenger status at a World Cup, it wouldn't be because we had "world class" players, but would rather be one of those "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" scenarios .... which might even involve including unheralded players who perform particular roles well, and ignoring two or three "stars", even if they played for Bayern or Real. It would also by definition require a manager far better than the one Pinnick hired.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by mastermind »

Something in the waters in Kaduna. Babayaro, Amokachi, Rashidi Yeking etc.grew up in Kaduna. Musa also grew up in the north (Kano/kaduna), we gatto start looking for the next Rashidi in that area.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by Molue Conductor »

Part of the problem is that your are judging him based on present football standards. In Yekini's time, African footballers playing for European clubs was uncommon.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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Molue Conductor wrote:Part of the problem is that your are judging him based on present football standards. In Yekini's time, African footballers playing for European clubs was uncommon.
Very.
However, I recall Richard Owubokiri was doing similar things in the same Portuguese league around that time. Owubokiri's record was very impressive and one can only assume that Yekini kept him out of the national team.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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Bump.
Osimhen!

He is the heir apparent.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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bigbrovar wrote:We should also remember that Yekini was a late bloomer on the national and international stage. And he came at an era when Europe was just getting opened to African Players. Yet over 90 goals in a 100 games is no small fit. He single handedly took Setuba to elite division and still went on to top the Portuguese first division with 24 goals IIRC. For the national team yekini single handed dragged us to the world Cup and ensured we won the nation Cup by scoring over 70% of our goals in the lead to the final. He was the first ever Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year a git not even Odegbami could manage. This drop in form had a lot to do with age, personal family crisis and even jealousy in the Super Eagles. Westerof is on record to have said some players where jealous of yekini and would refuse to pass the ball to him... By 94 Yekini was at his peak but the drop in form was not far off. He never repeated the fit. It is sad he only scored one goal for us but it is befitting that he would be the one to score our very first goal in the world Cup. Even when he scored very few players ran to him to celebrate.. It took a defender who ran from the back to go give him a tap in the back for the goal after his iconic celebrations were
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Bigbrova, I bow for this your post which I am only just seeing.
Every sentence qualifies for a KPOM.

Chai. Osimhen has a BIG challenge ahead of him, but he can do it.
Meanwhile, Yekini is deserving of at least a bust or a full statue in a prime location in the country.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by fabio »

Damunk wrote:
Very.
However, I recall Richard Owubokiri was doing similar things in the same Portuguese league around that time. Owubokiri's record was very impressive and one can only assume that Yekini kept him out of the national team.
Owubokiri scored 50 goals for Boavista in 90 appearances over 3 years (91-94)
Point of correction, or Point of fact!

Yekini kept Owubokiri out of the national team.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by deanotito »

Ipe Grams wrote:
john12 wrote:OBAGOAL was as good as YEKINI I just don’t know what happened to that guy. Maybe, we should stop encouraging players dancing around in camp
No he wasn't.
Can often tell the age of someone (too young) or when they left Nigeria for 'the abroad' (the 80s and earlier) by how they rate Yekini.

Yekini was World Class
Yekini was Special

Take that to the bank!


How anyone can say Obagoal was as good as Yekini is simply beyond me. Such words cannot be uttered by someone who truly saw Yekini in his prime. I never saw Christian Chukwu play that I can remember, but I'm willing to accept numerous eye witness accounts that he was among Nigeria's top 3 CBs ever.

Do us a favor, and take our word on Yekini. After Victor Osimhen's first league game this season, I came on here and said "I believe we have found the one...the most Yekini-like striker I've seen since Yekini". That says a lot - since it's been 25 years since Yekini was in his prime. Yekini is a once-in-a-generation striker. You don't find those easily.

His exit was soothed by the presence of Daniel Amokachi, whose nuisance value to a defense (and I say that in the most positive way possible) papered over the void that was apparent on Yekini's decline....when Amokachi got injured, that's when Nigeria entered true wilderness football.

I thought a lot over the weekend - for some reason - about Ronaldo De Lima - and how the complete phenomenon that he was has been somewhat diminished by the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. Its easy, in time, to forget how certain players just outright dominated the world of football, and for how for a 3-year stretch, Ronaldo was the greatest thing on turf. Don't let yourselves fall into that trap. Recognize greatness...and greatness was Rashidi Yekini.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by ANC »

Yekini was a lucky star. Obagoal was better. If Yekini played like Osimhen you wouldn't hear me complain.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by Chief Ogbunigwe »

Damunk wrote:
bigbrovar wrote:We should also remember that Yekini was a late bloomer on the national and international stage. And he came at an era when Europe was just getting opened to African Players. Yet over 90 goals in a 100 games is no small fit. He single handedly took Setuba to elite division and still went on to top the Portuguese first division with 24 goals IIRC. For the national team yekini single handed dragged us to the world Cup and ensured we won the nation Cup by scoring over 70% of our goals in the lead to the final. He was the first ever Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year a git not even Odegbami could manage. This drop in form had a lot to do with age, personal family crisis and even jealousy in the Super Eagles. Westerof is on record to have said some players where jealous of yekini and would refuse to pass the ball to him... By 94 Yekini was at his peak but the drop in form was not far off. He never repeated the fit. It is sad he only scored one goal for us but it is befitting that he would be the one to score our very first goal in the world Cup. Even when he scored very few players ran to him to celebrate.. It took a defender who ran from the back to go give him a tap in the back for the goal after his iconic celebrations were
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Bigbrova, I bow for this your post which I am only just seeing.
Every sentence qualifies for a KPOM.

Chai. Osimhen has a BIG challenge ahead of him, but he can do it.
Meanwhile, Yekini is deserving of at least a bust or a full statue in a prime location in the country.
DaMunk:

please find that recent article about how an unknown Yekini was tearing shot anyhow at Unibadan during a scrimmage match, after which he was mobbed by spectators demanding to know who he was.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

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bigbrovar wrote:We should also remember that Yekini was a late bloomer on the national and international stage. And he came at an era when Europe was just getting opened to African Players. Yet over 90 goals in a 100 games is no small fit. He single handedly took Setuba to elite division and still went on to top the Portuguese first division with 24 goals IIRC. For the national team yekini single handed dragged us to the world Cup and ensured we won the nation Cup by scoring over 70% of our goals in the lead to the final. He was the first ever Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year a git not even Odegbami could manage. This drop in form had a lot to do with age, personal family crisis and even jealousy in the Super Eagles. Westerof is on record to have said some players where jealous of yekini and would refuse to pass the ball to him... By 94 Yekini was at his peak but the drop in form was not far off. He never repeated the fit. It is sad he only scored one goal for us but it is befitting that he would be the one to score our very first goal in the world Cup. Even when he scored very few players ran to him to celebrate.. It took a defender who ran from the back to go give him a tap in the back for the goal after his iconic celebrations were
Thank You Bigbrovar :clap: :clap: :clap: very well written
The jealousy also ultimately lost us at least a Semi Final in the 94 WorldCup.
Yekini ( GoalsFather ) had a very bad miss kick against Italy. He also won a Red Card against an Italian defender in the same match when he was brought down enroute to goal that the ref overlooked.
... very amazed the comparison with Obagol or anyone else especially given the different eras. Like in all things, knowledge pass knowledge.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by YemiBrazil »

deanotito wrote:
Ipe Grams wrote:
john12 wrote:OBAGOAL was as good as YEKINI I just don’t know what happened to that guy. Maybe, we should stop encouraging players dancing around in camp
No he wasn't.
Can often tell the age of someone (too young) or when they left Nigeria for 'the abroad' (the 80s and earlier) by how they rate Yekini.

Yekini was World Class
Yekini was Special

Take that to the bank!


How anyone can say Obagoal was as good as Yekini is simply beyond me. Such words cannot be uttered by someone who truly saw Yekini in his prime. I never saw Christian Chukwu play that I can remember, but I'm willing to accept numerous eye witness accounts that he was among Nigeria's top 3 CBs ever.

Do us a favor, and take our word on Yekini. After Victor Osimhen's first league game this season, I came on here and said "I believe we have found the one...the most Yekini-like striker I've seen since Yekini". That says a lot - since it's been 25 years since Yekini was in his prime. Yekini is a once-in-a-generation striker. You don't find those easily.

His exit was soothed by the presence of Daniel Amokachi, whose nuisance value to a defense (and I say that in the most positive way possible) papered over the void that was apparent on Yekini's decline....when Amokachi got injured, that's when Nigeria entered true wilderness football.

I thought a lot over the weekend - for some reason - about Ronaldo De Lima - and how the complete phenomenon that he was has been somewhat diminished by the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. Its easy, in time, to forget how certain players just outright dominated the world of football, and for how for a 3-year stretch, Ronaldo was the greatest thing on turf. Don't let yourselves fall into that trap. Recognize greatness...and greatness was Rashidi Yekini.
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

... and I totally agree with you on Victor Osimhen!!! He is the one!
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by john12 »



when was the last time that a Nigerian youth striker score 49 goals for one of the biggest leagues in the world. a player that made the likes of.maldini, nesta look like small boys. even for nigeria, the bobo performed relatively well without being served by the likes of finidi, oliseh, okocha, Amunike, Amokachi all creators on their own right. if we're being honest with ourselves, we must say that Striker hasn't being SE problem in the last 20 years. SE has always produced top strikers
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by john12 »

let me not even start with SE world cup GOAT. yekini (Rip) has being replaced. unfortunately, SE strikers aren't consistent, long lasting ETC but our biggest issue in the past few years hasn't being 9
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by kalani JR »

Yakubu was better than Yekini.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by olu »

If Yekini had made it to Europe at a younger age he would certainly have featured for a higher profile team in Europe. Another thing that makes his goal scoring record even more impressive is we played even fewer friendlies back then.

We have had quality strikers since Yekini. Aghahowa, Amokachi, Martins, Agali, Yakubu, Ikechuwku Uche, Ighalo, and now Osmihen come to mind. The likes of Aghahowa, Martins, and Yak were good strikers, however, they didn't play enough games for Nigeria to be placed on the same level with Yekini.

We also struggled to find quality playmakers since Okocha and Oliseh retired. So many of our the strikers since Yekini have been starved off chances. For example, I would say we struggled to create chances in about half of the games I've seen Ighalo play for the SE.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by olu »

Yekini was so consistent that the likes of Owubokiri, Ikpeba (though young), and Ekoku all good strikers in their own right didn't really get much of a chance to play for the SE in competitive games when Yekini was in his prime.
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Re: Why Was Yekini So Special?

Post by ohsee »

olu wrote:If Yekini had made it to Europe at a younger age he would certainly have featured for a higher profile team in Europe. Another thing that makes his goal scoring record even more impressive is we played even fewer friendlies back then.

We have had quality strikers since Yekini. Aghahowa, Amokachi, Martins, Agali, Yakubu, Ikechuwku Uche, Ighalo, and now Osmihen come to mind. The likes of Aghahowa, Martins, and Yak were good strikers, however, they didn't play enough games for Nigeria to be placed on the same level with Yekini.

We also struggled to find quality playmakers since Okocha and Oliseh retired. So many of our the strikers since Yekini have been starved off chances. For example, I would say we struggled to create chances in about half of the games I've seen Ighalo play for the SE.
Chief,
You've made a lot of good points, but I will address the first and one other.

If Yekini had made it to Europe at a younger age, they would have scrubbed the African curse out of him--like many African strikers, he was incredibly wasteful with chances. In the beginning, Samuel Eto'o was like that too, but he went there early and as time went on, he was taught to calm down before goal and shoot straight.

Yekini had an European striker's mentality in the way he worked so hard to get open. I'd say he was as good as some of the very best European pure strikers of today like Mario Mandzukic in that ability, but he threw away way too many chances. If Yekini was able to bury even a quarter of the chances he had, he would be solidly on ANY list of all time great forwards.

Aghahowa was better than Yekini at scoring the half-chance. I thought he was going to be our best striker of all time. I don't know what happened. Maybe age?

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