“Nigerians will never forget you” – Mutiu Adepoju pens emotional tribute to Super Eagles’ greatest striker

Ten years to the day the legendary forward departed this realm, one of his former teammates has seized the opportunity to bless his memory

Former Racing Santander and Real Sociedad midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has penned an emotional tribute to iconic Super Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini on the tenth memorial of his death.

Yekini passed away on May 4, 2012, aged just 48, having spent half of those years creating a football legacy that endeared him to the hearts of tens of millions of fans all over Nigeria and beyond.

Yekini, who scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup, remains the country’s leading goalscorer of all time and is unarguably one of Africa’s finest goalscorers in history.

The former Vitória Setúbal star finished top of the goalscorer chart at two Africa Cup of Nations, and he was a crucial member of the Super Eagles squad that lifted the 1994 Afcon trophy in Tunisia.

Adepoju was teammates with Yekini in those glorious days for Nigerian football, and the two were among the most recognisable faces at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.

In a heart-wrenching tribute shared on his Twitter page, Adepoju hailed Yekini’s undeniable legacy, unalloyed commitment, fine sense of humour, and genuine humility.

He wrote: “Baba Yekini, today marks the 10th year that you left us behind. Of course, you are no more but your legacy will continue to reign in our hearts forever. #Legend #Immortality

“I will write it again here; it was a great honour playing with you – which I consider a big achievement on its own. You gave your 100% always.

“I will never forget you; Nigerians will never forget you. Always in our hearts. Keep resting, king. Your class remains unmatched!

“Your greatness is so enormous that the rest of the world still reminisces over your exploits in the beautiful game.

“It was never a dull moment with you in camp as everyone’s ribs would be cracked at your jokes. You were never a contentious person and you saw everyone as your brother not minding their backgrounds.”

During a storied football career, Yekini played for clubs in six other countries besides his own, including Portugal’s Vitória Setúbal, Spain’s Sporting Gijon, and Switzerland’s FC Zurich.