Football · Super Eagles · No. 3
Rashidi Yekini
The Goals Father: Nigeria’s all-time top scorer and first World Cup goalscorer.
- 37Goals for Nigeria
- 1993African Footballer of the Year
- 1994AFCON champion
- 21Goals, Portuguese top scorer
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From Kaduna to the world
Rashidi Yekini was born in Kaduna on 23 October 1963 to Yoruba parents from Ira, Kwara State. A trainee welder, he was spotted by scouts in 1981 and joined UNTL Kaduna, then scored 45 goals in 53 games for Shooting Stars of Ibadan.
Club career
| Club | Years | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| UNTL Kaduna | 1981 to 1982 | |
| Shooting Stars | 1982 to 1984 | 45 goals in 53 games |
| Abiola Babes | 1984 to 1987 | |
| Africa Sports (Côte d’Ivoire) | 1987 to 1990 | League top scorer three years running |
| Vitória Setúbal | 1990 to 1994 | Portuguese league top scorer 1993-94 (21 goals); 91 goals in 114 games |
| Olympiacos, Sporting Gijón, FC Zürich and others | 1994 to 2005 |
The goal that made a nation cry
On 21 June 1994 in Dallas, Yekini scored Nigeria’s first ever World Cup goal, the opener in a 3-0 win over Bulgaria. He ran into the net, gripped it with both hands and wept with joy: one of the most famous pictures of USA 1994.
For Nigeria
Yekini scored 37 goals in 62 games (1983 to 1998), still the national record; Victor Osimhen reached 35 in early 2026. He played at five Africa Cups of Nations, was top scorer in 1992 and 1994, and was player of the tournament when Nigeria won in 1994. In 1993 he became the first Nigerian to be named African Footballer of the Year.
Legacy
Yekini died in Ibadan on 4 May 2012 and was buried in Ira, Kwara State. Google marked his 60th birthday with a Doodle in October 2023.
More Nigerian football
Football in Nigeria
Nigeria’s favourite sport and its national teams.Read more
History of Nigerian football
From the barefoot 1949 tour to Olympic gold.Read more
Super Eagles
Nigeria’s men’s team: 3 AFCON titles, 6 World Cups.Read more
Super Eagles at the World Cup
Every World Cup from USA 1994 to Russia 2018.Read more
Quick answers
Rashidi Yekini: quick answers
Who is Nigeria’s all-time top scorer?
Rashidi Yekini, with 37 goals for the Super Eagles between 1983 and 1998.
Who scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal?
Rashidi Yekini, against Bulgaria on 21 June 1994 in Dallas.
Where was Rashidi Yekini from?
He was born in Kaduna in 1963 to Yoruba parents from Ira, Kwara State, where he is buried.