Google doodle celebrates Rashidi Yekini’s 60th posthumous birthday

Google doodle marked the 60th posthumous birthday of Rashidi Yekini, the iconic Nigerian footballer known as the ‘Goalsfather’ as a prolific striker.

PEOPLES GAZETTE

Google doodle marked the 60th posthumous birthday of Rashidi Yekini, the iconic Nigerian footballer known as the ‘Goalsfather’ as a prolific striker.

Born on October 23, 1963, in Kaduna, Yekini’s journey from a challenging early life of homelessness and poverty to football stardom was celebrated.

Yekini’s unwavering passion for football led him from a job as a welder and mechanic to the attention of scouts. He began his football career with UNTL FC in Kaduna in 1981, later joining the Shooting Stars, where he boasted an impressive record of 45 goals in 53 games.

In 1983, Yekini’s exceptional goal-scoring prowess earned him the title ‘African Footballer of the Year’, a historic achievement for a Nigerian player. The following year, he played a pivotal role in taking the Shooting Stars to the finals of the African Champions Cup.

His talent exten