AFCON
It’s 10 years since Nigeria’s record scorer, Rashidi Yekini passed on
Even though the cause of his death on this date 10 years ago has not yet been ascertained, Nigeria’s record scorer has largely been forgotten.
Rashide Yekini, then 48, was reportedly kidnapped shortly before he passed away, but the cause of his death is still unclear ten years later.
Police in Oyo State, where the striker was living when he died, told the BBC shortly after his death that no investigation was opened.
A decade on, there is pride in the achievements of the 1993 African Footballer of the Year yet sadness at his death and anger at the way he had been treated by the government and football authorities.
“What I find very sad is not just that there’s no closure about his passing, but that for all the man did for our country he deserves to always be remembered,” fellow Super Eagles star Oliseh told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s not encouraging because one of the most interesting things about people who served their nations is that one wants to be remembered for the sacrifices you’ve made. That is why I find it very unfortunate that priority is not given to remember Yekini, who gave his all to our country.”
The prolific striker played a key role in some of his country’s greatest moments on the pitch, ending top scorer at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations as Nigeria won their second continental crown.
Yekini is still the Super Eagles’ all-time leading scorer with 37 goals and is third on the list of Nations Cup scorers, wit his tally of 13 strikes at the finals only bettered by Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o (18) and Ivory Coast’s Laurent Pokou (14).
He also scored his country’s first ever World Cup goal in 1994, against Bulgaria, famously celebrating with his clenched fists punched through the net in exultation, which became an iconic image of both the tournament and of the man.
Ikpeba, who was also in Nigeria’s 1994 Nations Cup-winning team, is still upset there was no full investigation into Yekini’s death.
“A lot of things could have been done to give closure to his family, fans and the country,” the 1997 African Footballer of the Year, 48, told BBC Sport Africa.
“It’s shocking because it’s 10 years and nobody knows how he died. So who do we blame – the police, his state government or the federal government? These are the questions I ask myself.
“I know he was a Muslim and was buried within 24 hours as practiced in his religion, but an autopsy could have been carried out to tell us what happened to him. Sadly, we failed him when he was alive and in death. That is not how a legend like Yekini should be remembered.”
His international career aside, Yekini was also prolific at club level – seeing huge success with Shooting Stars of Nigeria, Ivory Coast’s Africa Sport and Vitoria Setubal of Portugal, amongst others.
He helped Shooting Stars reach the final of the African Champions Cup (forerunner of the African Champions League) in 1984 and made his debut for Nigeria the same year.
His final international outings came at the 1998 World Cup, and he once confronted a club coach who had questioned his frequent trips to represent the West African nation.
“There was a time I learnt that my [club] coach was complaining in the press that I went too often to play for Nigeria and that it affected his plans,” Yekini once said.
“I told him nobody can stop me from playing for my fatherland. This is where my people love me – not only because I score goals, but because I am their son. Even if Nigeria has a fixture against ants and cockroaches and I am invited, I will go and play.”
Yekini lived a reclusive life after he quit football for good in 2005 following a spell back in the Nigerian league.
He aggressively shunned the media limelight and turned down several offers to be part of the country’s football in other capacities, rejecting the chance to be a Nigerian football ambassador to the 2010 World Cup – a move which was never explained.
However, Oliseh and Ikpeba, who both won Olympic football gold with Nigeria in 1996, said Yekini was given no support by Nigeria’s football establishment when he needed it most.
“He always kept to himself but came alive during training sessions and matches for his country. A wonderful human and team-mate. Somewhat withdrawn, but that was his nature,” recalled Ikpeba.
“He was not one to dwell on negative things around the team but just happy to play for the national team instead. Yekini needed help, but the entire football community failed him.
“I’m glad there was a posthumous recognition given to him by the Confederation of African Football, thanks to Anthony Baffoe, which Yekini’s daughter attended. But here in Nigeria, we have nothing to remember him by at state or federal level, I am deeply sad.”
Former captain Oliseh, 47, echoes Ikpeba’s sentiments, adding: “What have we done to honour him? Do kids growing up know anything about the man or his incredible achievements?
“He’s the best striker Nigeria ever had, and he proved it in so many ways. For that reason, I feel extremely sad there is no proper commemoration to honour him.
“As a team-mate I will always remember and cherish him for everything he did. But I believe a lot more could have been done for the man.”
Apart from a recognition award given to the class of 1994 by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in 2019, with the striker’s daughter picking up his plaque, there has been no commemoration of Yekini by the organisation.
A top official of the NFF declined to comment on the subject, while the body’s outgoing president Amaju Pinnick was not available for comment.
-BBC
The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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AFCON
‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.
The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.
Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.
Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.
Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.
They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.
The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.
“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.
The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.
Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.
The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.
ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
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