Rashidi Yekini honoured with Google doodle on posthumous birthday

Rashidi Yekini, former Super Eagles striker, has been honoured with a Google doodle on his posthumous 60th birthday.

The Google doodle is a special alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage to commemorate special holidays, events, achievements, and people.

Yekini was a prolific striker for Nigeria and his numerous clubs. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for the Super Eagles, with 37 goals in 58 games. He died on May 4, 2012.

To celebrate the iconic striker, the word “Google” was spelt out with a painting of Yekini’s famed jubilation when he scored Nigeria’s first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup during the 1994 edition hosted by the US.

A click on the doodle opens up a short tribute and important facts about the late Yekini.

“Today’s Doodle celebrates iconic Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, an accomplished forward nicknamed the ‘Goalsfather’ for his ability to sneak shots by the keeper,” the tribute reads.

Yekini was born in Kaduna on October 23, 1963. He was raised in poverty and had to work menial jobs in his early years. His football career started with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) Kaduna.

The legendary striker then joined IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan. He later moved to the defunct Abiola Babes before he joined Africa Sports of Cote d’Ivoire.

Yekini moved to Europe afterwards and joined Victoria Setubal in Portugal. His performance with the Portuguese club earned him the 1993 Africa Footballer of the Year award — becoming the first Nigerian to win the honour.

He played for clubs in Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia before returning to the Nigerian league, where he featured for Julius Berger FC and Gateway FC before calling time on his career in 2005.

Yekini was a vital member of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) in Tunisia.