RASHIDI YEKINI BURIED AMIDST WAILINGS, EULOGIES; MUM SAID HE DIED A RECLUSE

It was wailing galore interspersed with eulogies as
the remains of Rashidi Yekini was laid to rest on Saturday at Ira in Kwara State, his home town, according to Islamic rites.

Yekini, who won the 1993 African Footballer of the
Year award, gave Nigeria its first-ever World Cup goal in USA 1994.  He died in a private hospital in Ibadan on Friday night at the age of 48 survived by his mother and three children.

The burial which was witnessed by local folks, friends and relations also had large crowd of
soccer fans from across the country as well as eminent personalities.

They included the Kwara State
Commissioner for Information and
Communication, Prince Tunji Moronfoye, who
pledged government’s assisstance to his family.

Osun State
Government was represented by the Commissioner
for Sports, Mr Stephen Kola- Balogun who donated N1 million on behalf of the State Government to cater for the family and children of the deceased.

The Government of Oyo State was also represented by its Sports Commissioner, Dapo Lam-Adesina.

Also in attendance were some ex-internationals who played alongside Yekini.  They included Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorounmu as well as football administrators like Taiwo Ogunjobi, Stephen
Olarinoye representing the National Sports
Commission and Otunba Dele Ajayi, the Chairman of Ondo State Football Association.

In her speech, Rashidi’s mother, Alhaja Sikirat
Yekini, thanked his friends and government functionaries for attending his funeral.

She revealed that her son had been ill and had been a recluse for about five years, adding that
the family spent all it had to take care of him all to no avail.

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