ADVERTISEMENT
Epic moments of Yakubu Aiyegbeni that refuse to go even as he retires from football
He is one of Africa's best strikers, but his mistake during the 2010 World Cup makes people think otherwise.
This announcement brings to an end a long and illustrious soccer career that will be hard to erase.
The 35-year-old ended his career after becoming clubless since earlier this year after he was released by the Coventry City.
Starting his professional football at the Julius Berger FC in 1997, the Maccabi Haifa club of Israel paid $300,000 to get his signature in 2000.
ADVERTISEMENT
After some time at the Isreali club, he moved to England, where he played for many Premier League clubs. Some of these include Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers, Readings and Coventry. He has a combined total of 141 goals being scored at those seven clubs.
One of Nigeria’s most constant Strikers after Rasheed Yekini
Yakubu is arguably one of the best strikers African has ever produced. While playing for Portsmouth FC, he was often described as ‘Portsmouth Goal’, and this attribute shows how versatile he was in front of the net.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) said about him in reaction to his retirement in a tweet: “The Yak… is the third-best all-time scorer of the senior national team. Thank you for the memories.”
ADVERTISEMENT
During this time of play, he was the first African to score a UEFA Champions League hat-trick. On record, he is the highest Nigerian goal scorer in the English Premier League and the third highest-goal scoring African in the history of the English league.
His greatest mistake, which haunts him to retirement
Nigeria is a country that rarely forgets your mistake especially when it comes to sporting events. Yakubu’s 4-yard missed at the 2010 FIFA World Cup game against South Korea made him fall out of favour with Nigeria sports lovers.
He was quoted to have remarked that: "Oh my God, I will never forget that moment. At that moment, I was ready to put the ball in the net. I thought the ball had gone in, I don't understand how it happened.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I couldn't believe it, I was standing there laughing, laughing at myself. If I scored the goal, it would have taken Nigeria to the Round of 16. Losing such chance is what one remembers for a lifetime."
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
ADVERTISEMENT