Joel Ajayi
The main bowl of the Kwara State Stadium Complex has been named after the Nigeria’s Football legend, Rasheed Yekini.
This was contained in a statement released by Rafiu Ajakaiye, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, yesterday in Ilorin.
“The maine bowl of the Stadium is named after the late Rashidi Yekini, a football legend renowned for scoring Nigeria’s first world cup goal and the country highest goalscorer till date”, the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Governor, also renamed the Kwara State Stadium Complex as Major-General George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex in appreciation of his contributions to the state.
Rashidi Yekini, who died in 2012 at the age of 48 years hailed from Ira in Oyun local government area of Kwara State.
Governor Abdulrazaq, similarly, approved for some other important state facilities to be named as follows: Table Tennis Arena is named after Atanda Musa (Manza Musa), who was a national champion in the games in 1979; Indoor Sports Hall is named after Gabriel Babatunde Ladipo, the first black principal of the Government Technical Training School Ilorin ,GTTS, who was regarded as the father of sports in the state; Squash Court is named after Coach Bolakale Mogaji, executive chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission who was the pioneer coach, player, and national champion in the squash game; KFA Academy is named after Coach Usuman Adenuja, the first football coach who took the Kwara Academical to the final of Academical football competition. The Governor was among his products.
Also, Hostel A of the stadium is named after Salihu Ishola, the first Kwaran commonwealth games’ medalist; Hostel B is named after Paralympic badminton bronze medalist Bolaji Eniola; and Hostel C is named after Bola Esan, the first female director of sports”.
Yekini scored 37 goals in international matches and represented Nigeria in seven football tournaments including two World Cups, where he scored the country’s first-ever goal in the competition. He was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.
