Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has opened up on one of the most unforgettable moments of his career — the missed goal against South Korea at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — revealing how that experience shaped his mindset about life and courage.
Speaking reflectively, the former Everton forward recalled the emotional rollercoaster that followed the miss, and how he immediately had to summon strength to take — and score — a penalty moments later despite immense pressure.
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“At the 2010 World Cup, after missing that goal against South Korea, we got a penalty. Kanu said, ‘Yak, let me take it.’ I told him, ‘Never,’” Yakubu recounted. “I was nervous, but I had to face my fear. I put the ball down, breathed deep, and scored.”
The former Nigerian international, who remains one of the country’s top scorers of all time, said that moment taught him an important life lesson about resilience and self-belief.
“That moment showed me something about life — you cannot let failure define you. You can cry, but you must stand again,” he said. “If I had hidden, people would say I was weak. Instead, I faced it.”
Yakubu’s message goes beyond football. His reflection paints a picture of a man who, despite public criticism, understood the essence of courage in the face of adversity.
“That’s what football teaches you — courage,” he added. “Sometimes you win. Sometimes you miss. But if you have heart, you rise again.”
Fifteen years on, the memory of that World Cup moment still evokes emotion among Nigerian fans, but Yakubu’s words now cast it in a new light — as a story not just of a missed goal, but of redemption, growth, and resilience.
