By Agency Report
Former international, Emeka Ezeugo, has revealed that he convinced late Rashidi Yekini from pulling out of the Super Eagles squad at their maiden World Cup appearance in the United States in 1994.
Both players were part of the squad that represented the country at the World Cup and Ezeugo, now 52, in an interview with Brila FM on Sunday, said Yekini didn’t want to be part of the team due to issues he had before the Mundial.
He said, “Rashidi was not in that World Cup. He protested directly to (coach Clemens) Westerhof and told him some things and that he was not going to play.
“I talked to him that ‘‘you have to go there, how will the other players feel if you pull out? You have to go to the pitch’. And he went on to the pitch reluctantly and hesitantly.
“If you watched the tournament, you will know that it wasn’t Rashidi on the pitch. And each time that I stood up from the bench, he was the only person I was shouting his name, just to wake him up. A lot of the players didn’t know this.”
The retired midfielder added that he and Yekini were not the best of friends, despite convincing him to play at the World Cup.
“We were close but he wasn’t my best friend. And I didn’t have a best friend in the team either. I was a one-man show; I was always doing my own thing myself.”
Yekini would go on to score the country’s first ever goal at the World cup, in the 3-0 opening game win against Bulgaria.
Source: PUNCH
