Yekini: Philanthropist Or Mentally Imbalanced?

Since his marriage crashed, Rashidi Yekini, the first Nigerian to score a World Cup goal back in 1994, has gone through many phases. FEMI ATOYEBI however checks up on the former Shooting Stars of Ibadan legend and discovers that ‘Gangling‘ Yekini is only being open-handed and isn‘t mentally depressed as is being rumoured





The setting was a perfect one to see through the latest world of a former World Cup star, but it almost turned out to be a journey in futility. Sitting on a bench in front of a little shop just behind the Olubadan Stadium in Ibadan, the scorer of Nigeria‘s first World Cup goal – and a living legend– Rashidi Yekini, refused to speak to this correspondent, preferring to remain within the walls he has built around himself since he stopped playing.


There have been rumours about the personal life of the 1994 World Cup star, which revolves around his unusual generosity towards people. The strength of the rumours, and the way they were growing by the day, suggested that Yekini was about to throw away all his life savings. Those bearing the tale associated Yekini‘s sudden charitable attitude to psychological depression, which must be addressed quickly.


But watching Yekini closely on Tuesday, his behaviour does not suggest that he is suffering from any mental disability. Perhaps, he just wants to be on his own. His daily routine, which is spent around the three stadiums in Ibadan, is fixed and he keeps to it.


In the morning, Yekini, still a keep-fit buff, walks or jogs around the Liberty Stadium. Those who have watched him closely say he responds to people‘s greetings and once in a while plays football with a local club on the training pitch of the stadium.


Born in Kaduna, and being a Muslim, the former player‘s fraternity with the Hausa in the Sabo area of the Oyo State capital is understandable. Sabo is directly behind the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. He spends his afternoon with them most times.


Just before the evening prayer, Yekini moves to a friend‘s shop behind the Olubadan Stadium, where music compact discs and video films are sold. Investigations showed that he helped the friend with money to set up the business and bought a power generating set for him lately. Perhaps, his regular visit to the shop towards the evening also satisfies his love for music.


It was here that this correspondent caught up with him, with the aim of talking to him and confronting him with the rumours. But not even the intervention of the friend, who is simply known as Uncle Bayo, would make the first Nigerian player to wear the Africa Footballer of the Year crown respond to the visit.


At a point, he walked to his little green Toyota Corolla car, with registration number PH 349 AAA, took a praying mat and left the scene. Not a word came from him, but his friend said he was furious that a newspaper had published a story that he was suffering from mental depression.


Yekini has a few friends in Ibadan, but most of them were not ready to talk about his personal life. They said he respects peoples‘ privacy and the only way to respond to that is to return the respect. But there are others who were eager to say a few things about him. Among them are people who are concerned that Yekini is living the life of a recluse.


Yekini lives alone in his house, off Ring Road, opposite the Liberty Stadium. He has a few tenants and rarely gets visitors. Since his marriage crashed in 1994, he has refused to re-marry, but a friend of the former Vitoria Setubal of Portugal goalscorer, who played for Shooting Stars alongside Yekini, says he has two children who come on holidays. The friend, who simply identifies himself as Sally, says Yekini is a good person, but needs people around him. He explains that part of the problem is the loss of trust in people, stemming from his past experience.

There are some things to examine here,” Sally adds. ”I want everyone to know that it is difficult for a man to come to terms with life for a long time after his marriage fails in three months. Yekini married in 1994 and he was looking forward to living with his wife peacefully. He just had a lucrative contract with Olympiacos of Greece, but everything collapsed.


”First the marriage, after three months and second, he could not re-ignite his scoring form at Olympiacos. The loss of form could be linked to psychological depression as a result of a failed marriage. No human being can function properly under such conditions. I‘m sure he would have been a better person if the marriage had survived.


”At the World Cup in 1994, there was a report that some other members of the squad did not like his jubilation when he scored the first Nigeria goal against Bulgaria. I was not there but they said these players stopped giving him passes and he only had to rely on chasing balls around the pitch.


”He stayed outside Nigeria for 12 years, during which he lived on his own. During this period, it is normal for a man to have cultivated the idea of being on his own. As an African man, people will not see it as normal and I‘m sure Yekini did not plan to live alone. He has tried to associate with people, but they betrayed the trust he had in them. People have taken money from him with lies and after discovering it, he must have felt very bad.”


But is it true that Yekini has withdrawn tens of millions of naira from his account in the past two months without using it for any major project? Is it also true that the former striker has about N1bn in various banks across the country? Is it also true that he cooks his own food and does all household chores by himself?
Another friend who prefers anonymity says Yekini is spending so much money but adds, ”I‘m aware of the way he spends money on charity. He has bought things for mosques, churches and sponsored wedding ceremonies. He has bought boots, balls and jerseys for so many children who want to play football. I am also aware that he has helped players with money to travel abroad for trials and paid his friends‘ coaching course fees.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101002132831

Posted: at 4-10-2010 05:38 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

see what they have done to my man

Posted: at 11-10-2010 06:20 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming

He should 4get the past and face the future. He shouldn't allow what happen to him in the past to steal his future from him.

Posted: at 12-10-2010 10:54 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

God please direct this man

Posted: at 14-10-2010 01:57 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming