Farewell Tribute to Goal
King
Rasheed
Yekinni [Tribute]
By Oyewole
Odebunmi
Urgency, doggedness, speed, direct and power packed
shots are the unlocking keys responsible for ‘Yeking’s status as Nigeria’s all-time best goal scorer. In 1993, the
goal scoring attribute earned him individual silverware as Nigeria’s first to win
African Best Footballer while till date; his personal record of 37goals in 58
international matches is individual’s highest tally.
Among modern day top-strikers, Italian and AC Milan
Fillipo Inzaghi best describes Rasheed Yekinni’s style of play. Both are not so
technically sound footballer but they are position themselves for scoring
advantage.
He was always at the right places thus making efforts
of his team-mates fruitful as they always get the ball to him and trust; he
converts for celebrations. Frankly, Yekinni picks his goal angle before the
ball gets to him when the likes of Sunday Oliseh, Daniel Amokachi, Finidi
George etc supplied him with lots of crosses or passes. Truly, he was goalkeepers
nightmare .
Latent Untold Goals’ Facts
Rasheed With Adidas Ball World Cup History
Adidas has unveiled eleven balls so far for FIFA World
Cup competitions. From these balls, African teams have only scored World Cup
maiden goals from seven balls [see below table]. ‘Yeking’ USA’94 madien goal for
Nigeria is Africa’s fifth of such goal-type. Likewise, his goal is third
overall fastest of these eleven goals [see
among scorers enlisted in table one].
World
Cup Maiden Goal-Celebration
June 21st of 1994 at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas,
Nigeria played her maiden World Cup match against Bulgaria. As the encounter
extended into the second quarter of first-half segment, ‘Finndi George laid a
clinical pass for Rasheed Yekinni who was well placed as usual to unleash a
powerful canon for Super Eagles first Mundial-goal. This goal later became Africa’s
6th World Cup goal of such at this level of competition.
Like any other footballer, a wild celebration often
follows when they score. His goal celebration like few others took a different
style. Perhaps if not, this is the first celebration of such style at this
competition level.
Late
Yekinni rushed inside goal area dipped his hands into the net, shook the net,
raised his hands and shouted words of exaltations before his team-mates came to
hug him. Marco Chilovert, Paraguayan goalkeeper to France’98 World Cup who was
not present at USA’94 competition repeated such celebration in France four
years later.
A Dallas resident confirmed that Rasheed’s goal on the
21st minute during the World Cup ligt -up Nigerian Spirit
among masked Dallas residents that refused to identify with ‘Green-White-Green’.
A lot came out waving 9ja’s flag. Besides, his goal celebration style became
focal point of Newspaper captions especially ‘Dallas Time’ and most especially
Nigerian newspapers.
Years afterwards, the goal photo-caption is still used
as front cover attraction of English Language textbook used among Senior
Secondary student [ SS ONE precisely] .
Remarkably, this unique honour from academic book publishers in Nigeria is first
of such as symbol of honour.
Headache
for Arrigo Sacchi at USA
A single moment act could define new history in
football. Arrigo Sacchi was perhaps, if
not the best overall coach in the early 1990s’. The former shoe-sales man [Arrigo Sacchi] won series of laurels
from domestic league to international club competitions and there after became ‘Azzuri’s’ coach to USA’94 World Cup.
Aware of likelihood encounter with Super Eagles during 94‘World Cup, Sacchi came
as a spy for Tunisia’94 Nations Cup final which Nigeria played against Zambia. Nigeria
won 2:1.Sacchi’s described ‘Super Eagles’ composition as
‘Supermen’ while he promised to evolve strategy to knock-out ‘Super Eagles’ if
they meet during 1994World Cup.
Guess what? Nigeria met Italy during USA’94 round of
sixteen. An early goal from Emmanuel Amunike put the Italians on edge. But
Sacchi kept shouting instructions from side-line till Emmanuel Amunike was replaced
due to punishable injury which was not registered. Thus, with Amunike out, the team’s
speed was reduced and at the same time attacking fire-power reduced. This
tactically allowed Paolo Maldinni to police Yekinni always.
Yekinni at an
instant displaced Maldinni but the Italy’s defence anchor-man intelligently
pulled down ‘Yeking’ as Mexican referee
in Arturo Brizio Carter was deceived [who
did not give a deserving penalty] . Hard Maldinni not took the risk, you
guess is good as mine. Meanwhile, ’94 Super Eagles’ composition was not a single
man show but Yekinni’s attitude in front of goal-post showed the hunger he
always exhibited for success at all times thus kept the team on a high note in
the 1990s’.
Unique Goal Achievement
He was the first top-scorer of African Nations Cup competition
as a winning team member that scored
among Trophy winning goals during competition final match and scored his
country’s median World Cup. Likewise, he was the first Super Eagles’ striker
during preliminaries of World Cup as highest top-scorer to play at mundial
level [Rasheed’s scored 5goals in
7matches en route to USA’94 World Cup].
Table
1: World Cup Maiden Goal
Index
|
Edition
|
Ball Names
|
Nationalities
|
Scorer
|
Timing
|
1st
|
1970
|
Telstar
|
Moroccan
|
Houmane Jaari
|
21st
min.
|
2nd
|
1978
|
Tango
|
Tunisian
|
Kaabi Ali
|
55th min
|
3rd
|
1982
|
Tango Espana
|
Algerian
|
Rabah Madjer
|
54th min
|
4th
|
1982
|
Tango Espana
|
Cameroonian
|
Mbida Gregorie
|
61st min
|
5th
|
1994
|
Questa
|
Nigerian
|
Rasheed Yekinni
|
24th min
|
6th
|
1998
|
Tricolore
|
South African
|
Benni McCarthy
|
52nd min
|
7th
|
2002
|
Fevernova
|
Senegalese
|
Papa Bouba Diouf
|
30th min
|
8th
|
2006
|
Teamgeist
|
Ghanaian
|
Asamoach Gyan
|
2nd min
|
9th
|
2006
|
Teamgeist
|
Ivorian
|
Didier Drogba
|
82nd min
|
10th
|
2006
|
Teamgeist
|
Togolese
|
Mohamed
|
31st min
|
11th
|
2006
|
Teamgeist
|
Angolan
|
Flavio
|
60th min
|
At Nations
Cup
He was perhaps, if not the most feared
striker during African Nations Cups of 1990s’ and at club level he was known
for scoring decisive goals. During his playing career, he never missed penalty.
Yekinni scored 13goals from four Nations
Cups participations and won two Silver Medals, one Bronze Medal and a Trophy.
An
approximate of 62% of his total goals was scored within the first thirty
minutes interval during play denoting urgency [an act to unsettle opposing teams –see below table 2].
At Algiers ’90 Nations Cup, Nigeria lost 5:1
to host country during the competition opener. A lot of teams frankly will
never recover from such a huge defeat in a competition of this magnitude.
However, ‘Yeking’ scored 60% to re-write another Nations Cup twist of grass to
grace [Super Eagles played the
competition’s final with the host-country, the eventual winner].
Table 2: Goals
Distribution For All Nation Cups Outings
Intervals
|
Goal Scored
|
Percentage
Approximate
|
1 – 15min
|
5goals
|
39%
|
16 – 30mins
|
3goals
|
23%
|
31 – 45mins
|
Zero
|
0%
|
46 – 60mins
|
1goal
|
8%
|
61 – 75mins
|
1goal
|
8%
|
76 – 90mins
|
3goals
|
23%
|
91- 105mins
|
Zero
|
0%
|
106 – 120mins
|
Zero
|
0%
|
Total
|
13goals
|
100%
|
