Google celebrates Rashidi Yekini’s 60th posthumous birthday with iconic goal celebration image

By Wale Mustapha

Google Doodle has reminded the football fraternity of importance of late icon, Rashidi Yekini celebrating what would have being his 60th birthday.

The famous search engine remembered the late Nigerian football star with the image of his celebration when he scored Nigeria’s first ever goal at the FIFA World Cup in 1994.

Yekini who was originally from Illa, in Oyun Local Government of Kwara State was born in Kaduna 23rd October, 1963.

He started his youth football career with UNTL FC in Kaduna before going on to play professional football with notable clubs including NUB, Ranchers Bees, Shooting Stars, Abiola Babes, Club Africain, Victoria Setubal, Grasshoppers, Sporting Gijon among others.

The ‘Yeking’ as he was fondly called scored over 200 career goals that spanned over two decades.

Google Doodle has now honoured the player with an animation of the viral image of that goal at the 1994 World Cup.

He still hold the record of Nigeria’s highest goal scorer with 37 goals. Yekini passed away on May 4, 2012 at the age of 48.