Ibadan Agog For Yekini's One Year Remembrance, NFF Sends Kits

Activities marking the first year anniversary of the death of Nigerian soccer legend, Rashidi Yekini who passed on in a controversial circumstance on 4th of May 2012 is in top gear, as friends and well-wishers have released schedule of events.

Counsel to the late Super Eagles’ striker, Jibril Mohammed Olanrewaju who is spearheading the event has confirmed to newsmen that Nigeria Football Federation has sent two sets of kits that the friends of the Yekini and his ex- teammates that are expected to wear in a memorial football match scheduled for Friday, 3rd May at Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba
Ibadan.

Apart form kits from NFF, the coordinator of Rashidi Yekini Foundation said they are yet to receive any assistance of from any quarters as the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdulhai, Oyo and Kwara State Government who had promised assistance in giving Yekini a befitting remembrance are yet to fulfill their pledges.

The legal practitioner has however promised to go ahead with the planned activities but expressed optimism that assistance would still come from the expected quarters as reminder letters have been forwarded to remind them of the event.

Other activities lined up to commemorate the one year of Yekini is a launching of a book written to shed light on some dark area of life of the deceased, some unanswered questions that people are yearning to know which was authored by his lawyer who happened to be the only confidant of Yekini.

The book launch is scheduled for Jogor centre on Thursday, 2nd May where Senator Ayo Adeseun, FIFA/CAF advisor, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde and Dr. Felix Owolabi are expected to deliver lectures.

Also expected in Ibadan are some of Yekini’s teammates, as the likes of Samon Siasia, Thompson Oliha, Friday Ekpo, Mutiu Adepoju, Dimeji Lawal, Duke Udi, Ike Shorunmu, Garba Lawal,Toyin Ayinla and host of others have signified their readiness to participate in the memorial match scheduled between the All stars form Lagos and friends of Yekini while the trio of Clemens Westerhof, Bonfere Jo and Coach Amodu Shuaibu are expected to handle the two teams.

Meanwhile, Yekini’s former club, Victoria Setubal, Portugal has also pledged to mobilize their officials and ex-players especially the ones that played along with him during his times in the club to storm Ibadan and feature in the memorial match.

An e-mail received from the Portuguese club, signed by Marcos Santos, stated that “first of all, we would like to congratulate you for this remarkable initiative in honor of an outstanding athlete and an extraordinary man.

“Rashidi Yekini is a Vitória FC icon and is career will be remember all over the time. An example of this was when Rashidi Yekini was voted among the “Centenary Team” of Vitória Futebol Clube in our centenary commemoration that took place in 2010”, the mail read in part.

Akanbi Agiri

Photo Credit: ilorin.info