Sad For Nigeria..How Rashidi Yekini Died A Wretch..Had 3 Wives,3 Children...Crocodile Tears Flow

That NIGERIA'S goal king and one-time African Footballer Of The Year, Rashidi Yekini, is dead is no longer news. He died yesterday in a private hospital in Ibadan. His remains will be buried today at Ira, Kwara State..He died in the early hours of yesterday at a private hospital after what had been described as prolong mental disorder.Confirming the death yesterday, one-time national teammate of Yekini, Ike Shorunmu, said he was informed by the mother of one of Yekini's children that the gangling striker was dead.''It's so sad but the truth of the matter is that our dear Rashidi Yekini is dead,''Shorunmu lamented. ''He died in a private hospital in Ibadan,'' he said.''The woman who had a daughter for Yekini told me this sad news and told me that he would be buried today in Ira, Kwara State,'' said Shorunmu.Also, Kwara State's Commissioner for Information, Tunji Moronfoye, confirmed the death of Yekini.''He died today (yesterday)in Ibadan, he was a close friend of mine, a relative of sort having the same root from Kwara State. We are second cousins in fact. He died of depression.After, he left football, he could not find his feet, he lived a solitary life and was mostly unhappy. May Allah grant him rest,'' Moronfoye prayed.Yekini will be buried today according to Muslim rites in Ira, Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State.He was Nigeria’s national record goal scorer, netting 37 goals in 58 appearances. He represented Nigeria at the 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994 Africa Nations Cup finals.He also represented Nigeria at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.Yekini played for Nigeria at the USA'94 and France '98 World Cups finals. In 1993, he was crowned African Footballer Of The Year; the first time a Nigerian would be so honoured.Segun Odegbami, former Nigeria's captain, expressed shock over the demise of Yekini, saying that it was unbelievable.''It can't be true, I can't believe it, Rashidi dead,? he exclaimed.His neighbours said Yekini had been taken out of his Ibadan residence by relatives when it was obvious that he was finding life difficult.''He had been ill and about two weeks ago, some relatives of his came to carry him to a place we didn't quite know so that he could get proper treatment.''They added that but for a recent pathetic story carried by an Ibadan based Newspaper, they would not have believed that Yekini was in Ibadan not to talk of dying in the city...CKN