Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has announced his retirement from football after 20 active years in the sport after clocking 35 years on Wednesday.
Aiyegbeni started his senior club career with Julius Berger before moving on to play for the likes of Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Everton in England.
The striker also represented Nigeria where he earned 57 caps for the Super Eagles, scoring 21 goals in the process.
Aiyegbeni is Nigeria’s 3rd all-time goal scorer behind Rashidi Yekini (37) and Segun Odegbami (22).
He won bronze with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and also played at the World Cup in 2010.
He quit international football two years after the 2010 FIFA world cup.
Last season he joined Coventry City in February until the end of that term, however, the contract was mutually terminated due to the Forward’s struggle with fitness.
Meanwhile, Federation of International Football Association has sent birthday wishes to Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who clocked 35 years.
FIFA sent the birthday greetings on their verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.
Aside Aiyegbeni, FIFA also celebrated former German international Torsten Frings; ex-Brazil and Napoli player, Alemao and Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid former boss Radomir Antic.
“Happy birthday to Yakubu Aiyegbeni (35), Torsten Frings (41), Alemao (56) and Radomir Antic (69),” FIFA wrote on the their handle.
Aiyegbeni made his full Super Eagles debut on 22 April 2000 in a 4–0 home win in Lagos against Eritrea – a Mali 2002 African Cup of Nations qualifying match.
He represented Nigeria at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games football event where the U-23 Eagles got to the quarter-finals and lost 4-1 to Chile.
Also he was at the Mali 2002, Tunisia 2004, Ghana 2008 and Angola 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. He was sent home at the 2004 AFCON alongside Victor Agali and Celestine Babayaro for indiscipline.
His last major tournament for Nigeria was at the South Africa 2010 World Cup where he scored one goal in a 2-2 draw against South Korea in a group game.
Aiyegbeni will be remembered for failing to convert begging chance to goal against South Korea which cost Nigeria a place in round 16 at the 2010 World Cup.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
