The ex-striker, who was only 48, is Nigeria’s all-time record goalscorer after netting 37 times in 58 matches for the Super Eagles.
Yekini will be famously remembered for his iconic goal celebration after scoring Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal against Bulgaria in the 1994 edition of the competition in the USA.The former forward started his career at UNTL Kaduna in 1981 before spending the next nine years in his native Africa.
Yekini then moved to Europe, where he enjoyed a successful four-year spell at Vitoria Setubal in Portugal.
He later enjoyed spells in Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia before eventually calling time on his playing career in 2003 with Nigerian club, Julius Berger.Yekini did come out of retirement briefly in 2005, when at 41 years of age he joined Gateway United for a short spell.His body will be taken to Offa to be buried in his home town in Kwara State.
Maradona to stay at Al Wasl
Diego Maradona has backed down from his threats to quit as Al Wasl coach and will now honour his two-year contract with the club after a meeting with chairman Marwan bin Bayat.The former Argentina national team coach had made several recent outbursts threatening to walk away from the club over perceived unkept promises on a lack of player recruitment.
However, Maradona met with bin Bayat and senior club officials late in the week, the Argentine has decided to see out his contract, which has one year still to run. An Al Wasl statement said Maradona “acknowledged that his recent outbursts were not in the best interests of the team and that he understands the club’s disappointment.”
