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Yakubu Ayegbeni On His Pride Representing Nigeria And Dealing With Infamous World Cup Miss
FIFA legend Yakubu Ayegbeni reflects on his illustrious career, expressing no remorse for representing Nigeria despite enduring relentless bullying over a missed goal during the 2010 World Cup.
The 41-year-old striker’s journey with the Super Eagles began at the tender age of 17. Making his debut in April 2000 against Eritrea, he quickly established himself as a prolific goal-scorer.
Over the next decade, Yakubu’s contributions were instrumental in Nigeria’s success, including securing a bronze medal at the 2002 AFCON.
However, the 2010 World Cup match against South Korea greatly shaded his career. A missed goal in that match became a defining moment in Nigerian football history, often overshadowing his numerous achievements.
Despite the negative attention, Yakubu Ayegbeni remains proud of his international career. He considers it a privilege to have represented Nigeria at the highest level, participating in the AFCON, World Cup, and Olympics. Yet, he laments that his positive contributions are frequently overlooked, overshadowed by the infamous missed goal.
“Me, regret playing for Nigeria? No chance. It is an honour for me playing for Nigeria, every player wants to play for his country. I was born in Nigeria, grew up in Benin, Edo state Nigeria. It is an honour to wear Nigeria’s green and white jersey of Nigeria,” Yakubu told Flashscore in a no-holds-barred interview.
“Being at the World Cup in South Africa is (another) great (opportunity) representing my country. We should all forget the miss and remember the good ones. It is funny when people still talk about it – it is almost 14 years already – and people still talk about the miss and not the good ones.
EXCLUSIVE: Yakubu tells he has no regrets playing for Nigeria
and coping with infamous World Cup miss.
pic.twitter.com/kd3UEwJCAa
— Shina Oludare
“They did (not talk) about when I qualified Nigeria for the World Cup in South Korea and Japan but was dropped; they never spoke about that. I still had the courage to take the penalty after 10 minutes and people still send me message about it missing that goal.
“I don’t think we would still win the 2010 World Cup. We have been to other World Cups plus the ones we did not qualify for but people never talked about it.
“We all watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, they all miss chances, but people still talk about my own miss – I think people just love me for that.”
Lars Lagerback’s Super Eagles faced a daunting task at the 2010 World Cup, having suffered defeats to Argentina and Greece. A victory against South Korea was imperative to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive.
Nigeria made a promising start at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with Kalu Uche netting an early goal. However, South Korea fought back, taking the lead with two goals.
Yakubu Ayegbeni, renowned for his spectacular goals, had a golden opportunity to equalize but missed from close range, a moment that became a defining point in the match.
Despite the missed chance, Yakubu redeemed himself with a penalty goal later in the game. However, Nigeria ultimately failed to secure a win and exited the tournament at the bottom of Group B.
Yakubu continues to endure bullying over the missed goal but refuses to apologize. He believes football is a game of highs and lows, where even the greatest players can make mistakes.
“They always try to bring it back and say ‘How I wish you scored, we should have been to the next stage’. Are you sure we could have still won the World Cup?
“Regret missing that chance? Of course, as a football player but we move on from that. I keep getting messages upon messages like ‘we will never forgive you’, ‘we will not forget about the miss’.
“It is good they will never forget about the miss; it is one of the bad misses of the World Cup even me, I will never forget about it, it is part of football.
“They said I was smiling, yes, I was smiling but inside me, do you know how I feel? Do you think you are happy about missing chances? Ronaldo, Messi, (Daniel) Amokachi, Jay Jay (Okocha), (Nwankwo) Kanu and other great players also miss chances but we all move on.”
The former Portsmouth star continued when asked how his girls respond to the hurtful remarks made about him: “They don’t even care about it. They say ‘how come they never moved on?'”
Interestingly, Yakubu Ayegbeni’s legacy extends beyond his own playing career. His daughter, Katriel, is following in his footsteps, pursuing a professional netball career and aiming for a spot on the English national team.
Yakubu Ayegbeni made history in 2002 when he became the first African to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League. This accomplishment, achieved while playing for Maccabi Haifa against Olympiacos, solidified his status as a football legend. To this day, he remains the only Nigerian to have achieved such a feat.
Did you know that Yakubu Ayegbeni is the first African and the only Nigerian to score a hat-trick in the Champions League? Show some respect for that achievement biko! #UCL
pic.twitter.com/8A2mATMx0F
— Shina Oludare
“To apologise to Nigerians? Never! I will never. They should focus on the situation in the country and stop talking about my chance. No one ever talked about the World Cup I was never taken to; they talk only about the bad ones – that is Nigerians for you,” he continued.
“They don’t talk about the good things you’ve done for the country, sacrificing one’s life for the country. You travel to where there is war to play for your country.
“We did not qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup). Did they speak about it? No. Let’s move on and think about the present and not the past. It is not arrogance, but people have to understand the fact that have to understand.
“I know I have served Nigeria and I am happy to wear the (green and white jersey). Ten years playing for Nigeria is great.”
Yakubu Ayegbeni’s career extended beyond his playing days. Following his departure from Coventry City in 2017, he transitioned into a new role as a FIFA legend and football ambassador, dedicated to developing the future of the sport.
Beyond his football-related endeavours, Yakubu has also established a successful business empire. He is the owner of a chain of businesses. He is the CEO of Yak Sports Academy, a renowned institution that has produced talented players for European teams.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (30) recorded his fourth triple-double of the season, contributing 11 points, 12 rebounds, and a season-high 13 assists.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard (34) scored 25 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a decisive 128-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
Antetokounmpo’s exceptional passing, including 10 assists in the first half alone, ignited the Bucks’ offence and propelled them to victory, snapping a two-game losing streak.
The Bucks had recently faced a challenging period, losing four of their last five games, all against teams with losing records.
However, they convincingly overcame the struggling 8-28 Raptors, despite the absence of Khris Middleton due to an ankle injury.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers praised Antetokounmpo’s playmaking abilities, stating, “Giannis’ passing set the whole tone for our team.”
“When your best player does that, it becomes contagious and the ball just moved,” Rivers said.
Bloody good passing from Giannis.
13 AST | 12 REB | 11 PTS pic.twitter.com/6LGIFIIK6h
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 7, 2025
The only downside for the Bucks was a cut Antetokounmpo suffered on his right little finger when he hit the rim on a block attempt late in the first half.
Rivers said it required stitches to stop the bleeding, but Antetokounmpo wanted to stay in a game in which he and Lillard were both able to rest the entire fourth quarter anyway.
Zach LaVine led the Chicago Bulls to a thrilling 114-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Chicago, scoring 35 points while also contributing 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Bulls staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming a 19-point deficit in the third quarter.
Coby White played a crucial role in the victory, scoring 23 points. He drove for a go-ahead layup and followed it up with a powerful dunk, giving the Bulls a 113-110 lead with 15.9 seconds remaining. LaVine then sealed the win with a free throw.
The Bulls successfully countered another impressive performance from San Antonio’s star rookie, Victor Wembanyama. He recorded 23 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and an astonishing eight blocked shots.
DRIVE HOME SAFELY. BULLS WIN. pic.twitter.com/KSEoyyzCVs
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 7, 2025
In Detroit, Cade Cunningham orchestrated a remarkable comeback for the Pistons.
They scored 32 points and dished out nine assists as they overcame an early 22-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-115.
Tim Hardaway Jr. ignited the Pistons’ fourth-quarter surge, scoring 11 of his 26 points during the final period. He drained back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Pistons a 109-106 lead with less than three minutes remaining.
The Trail Blazers mounted a late challenge, twice narrowing the deficit to just one point. Anfernee Simons’ three-pointer with 12 seconds left brought the score to 117-115.
However, Malik Beasley sealed the Pistons’ fourth consecutive win by making one of two free throws and securing a crucial steal.
Sealed the dub the Detroit way
pic.twitter.com/kGkHkHX1o5
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 7, 2025
The Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia.
Coach Mike Budenholzer’s decision to shake up the starting lineup by moving Bradley Beal to the bench proved successful. Beal ignited the Suns’ offence, scoring 25 points, with 20 of those coming in the second half.
The Suns trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with a four-point deficit. However, their bench outscored the 76ers’ reserves by a significant margin, 54-7.
Good night, Suns fans!
pic.twitter.com/U1TBskDLYf
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 7, 2025
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points and 10 assists. And Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 26 points and 11 rebounds. The 76ers were without Joel Embiid and Kyle Lowry due to injuries.
In New York, the injury-ravaged Orlando Magic upset the struggling Knicks 103-94.
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 24 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. provided a significant spark off the bench, scoring 19 points. The Magic remain without their top four scorers: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Moritz Wagner.
Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 24 points for the Knicks. The Knicks suffered their third consecutive loss after a nine-game winning streak.
In Memphis, Jaren Jackson Jr. dominated. He scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies to a 119-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks, missing key players Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, dropped their fifth straight game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves snapped their three-game losing streak with a thrilling 108-106 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Edwards fuelled the comeback, scoring 37 points for the Timberwolves.
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