8th January, 2014
Emmanuel Emenike, Nigerian international footballer who plays as a striker for Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super Lig, has been described as a prolific striker who will take the place of the next Rashidi Yekini who was the national record goalscorer and third all-time highest goal scorer in the history of African Cup of Nations.
The late Yekini, who died on 4 May, 2012 at the age of only 48, scored 37 goals for Nigeria in 58 appearances. According to Wikipedia, Rashidi was part of the Nigeria’s Super Eagles that participated in the 1994 (where he netted the country’s first-ever goal in a World Cup, in a 3–0 win against Bulgaria, his celebration after netting the goal became one of the iconic images of the tournament and the 1998 FIFA World Cups.
This goalscoring prowess is what the President General Worldwide of Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo saw in Emenike, which made him to make a conlusion that the former player of Karabükspor of Turkey is Yekini in the making for Nigeria.
Dr. Ladipo said that his position as the boss of the supporters’ club has given him the opportunity to travel with the senior national teams around the world and lately what he saw in Emenike has shown the hidden talent that he can be a striker who will always be the thorn in the flesh of any goalkeeper on the field of play.
“With the way Emenike is going, he will surely be the Rashidi Yekini in the Super Eagles. Yekini was a player whose ability to score goal in a thundrous manner knew no bound and I could remember the way Emenike scored a 30-yard free kick to give Nigeria a 2–1 win over Côte d’Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations,” said Dr. Ladipo at the unveiling ceremony of Emenike as a Brand Ambassador of Globacom in Lagos last Friday.
“Just like Yekini, whose goalscoring exploits had always been the saving grace for the Eagles during his playing days, so also is what Emenike is doing for us in the present Eagles. I can still recalled what happened when we played Ethiopia in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup playoffs in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian fans had boasted that they would beat us silly at their backyard. I was so glad that Emenike did us proud by scoring twice to give us a 2–1 lead going into the second-leg which we won in Calabar, Cross River State.
“As someone who had travelled far with the Eagles, I want to say with boldness that Emenike is our new Rashidi Yekini,” he said.
Dr. Ladipo said that his position as the boss of the supporters’ club has given him the opportunity to travel with the senior national teams around the world and lately what he saw in Emenike has shown the hidden talent that he can be a striker who will always be the thorn in the flesh of any goalkeeper on the field of play.
“With the way Emenike is going, he will surely be the Rashidi Yekini in the Super Eagles. Yekini was a player whose ability to score goal in a thundrous manner knew no bound and I could remember the way Emenike scored a 30-yard free kick to give Nigeria a 2–1 win over Côte d’Ivoire in the African Cup of Nations,” said Dr. Ladipo at the unveiling ceremony of Emenike as a Brand Ambassador of Globacom in Lagos last Friday.
“Just like Yekini, whose goalscoring exploits had always been the saving grace for the Eagles during his playing days, so also is what Emenike is doing for us in the present Eagles. I can still recalled what happened when we played Ethiopia in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup playoffs in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian fans had boasted that they would beat us silly at their backyard. I was so glad that Emenike did us proud by scoring twice to give us a 2–1 lead going into the second-leg which we won in Calabar, Cross River State.
“As someone who had travelled far with the Eagles, I want to say with boldness that Emenike is our new Rashidi Yekini,” he said.
Dr. Ladipo predicted that Emenike, who was sold to Spartak Moscow on 28 July, 2011 for €10 million due to the match fixing scandal involving Fenerbahce, will carry his goalscoring prowess to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil this June, adding that Nigerians should be expecting surprise goals from the 27-year old player.
“This player will socre more goals for us in the World Cup even more than Yekini because I see the Eagles playing as far as the semi final of the World Cup by the grace of God,” he said.
He, however, thanked Globacom for making Emenike one of its Brand Ambassador. “I thank the management of Glo for the honour bestow on Emenike as one of its Ambassador. This young man deserves this honour and for us in the supporters club, we say thank you Globacom,” he said.
—Taiwo Adelu