Rashidi Yekini is a Shooting Stars and Super Eagles legend. He is easily recognized as the greatest striker to emerge from Nigeria’s shores.

Born on 23rd October 1963, Yekini started his career in the Nigerian league where he starred for UNTL of Kaduna, Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Abiola Babes before moving to Cote d'Ivoire to play for Africa Sports National.
From there he went to Portugal to join Vitoria de Setubal, where he experienced his most memorable years, and eventually becoming the Portuguese first division's top scorer in the season 1993–1994.

His brilliant performances for Nigeria during the qualifying rounds for USA ’94 earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year 1993, the first ever Nigerian player to win this prestigious accolade.

After the 1994 World Cup, Yekini was bought by top Greek side Olympiacos Piraeus, but he did not get along with his teammates and eventually left. His career never really got back on track, not even upon a return to Setubal. However, he successively played with FC Zurich, Club Athletique Bizerte of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab FC, before rejoining Africa Sports.
In 2003 Yekini, at 39, returned to the Nigerian Championship, teaming up with Julius Berger FC. Two years later he made another short comeback when he moved alongside former national teammate Mobi Oparaku to Gateway FC.

Yekini’s holds the all-time best record of 37 international goals for Nigeria, and was part of the Super Eagles team that participated at the 1994 FIFA World Cup (where he scored Nigeria's first ever goal in a World Cup) as well as at France ’98.

Yekini also helped Nigeria win its second Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, where he also topped the goal charts. At Olympic level he represented the country at Seoul 1988.

Yekini presently resides in Ibadan, South Western Nigeria. 

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