Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has described the late Rashidi Yekini as Nigeria’s greatest-ever striker, insisting the legendary forward’s goalscoring record and consistency set him apart from other Nigerian attackers.
Oliseh believes Yekini’s achievements would command an enormous value in today’s football market, estimating that the former Super Eagles star could have been worth around €200 million at his peak.
“Rashidi Yekini was Nigeria’s greatest striker,” Oliseh said, pointing to the forward’s remarkable record for the national team.
Yekini remains Nigeria’s all-time leading goalscorer, having scored 37 goals in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles. He was also a key figure in Nigeria’s golden generation, helping the country win the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for its first FIFA World Cup the same year.
His iconic celebration after scoring Nigeria’s first-ever World Cup goal against Bulgaria remains one of the most memorable moments in the country’s football history.
Beyond international football, Yekini enjoyed a prolific club career, particularly during his time with Portuguese side Vitória de Setúbal, where his goalscoring exploits earned him the 1993–94 European Golden Boot.
Oliseh argued that comparing Yekini with subsequent generations of Nigerian forwards does not fully reflect the impact and consistency of the late striker.
The former midfielder also believes modern sports medicine could have extended Yekini’s career, while the huge inflation in transfer fees would have placed an extraordinary value on his services.
“With today’s transfer market and modern sports medicine, Yekini would have played longer and commanded an enormous transfer value,” Oliseh argued.
Yekini, who died in 2012 at the age of 48, remains one of the most celebrated figures in Nigerian football.
For Oliseh, his combination of goals, longevity and importance to the national team places him in a category of his own — and one that would likely attract a staggering price tag in the modern game.
