Former Juventus and Ajax star Sunday Oliseh has hailed Rashidi Yekini as the greatest Nigerian striker of all time, according to Sportblog247.com.

Oliseh, who played alongside Yekini in the Super Eagles, made this declaration while also praising former Nantes and Nigeria forward Samson Siasia.

Nigeria has produced numerous talented strikers, including Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins, Victor Ikpeba, and Daniel Amokachi. However, Oliseh believes Yekini stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Yekini remains Nigeria’s top international scorer with 37 goals in 62 appearances. He scored Nigeria’s first World Cup goal during a 3-0 victory over Bulgaria in 1994, a moment celebrated nationwide.

In 1993, Yekini was named African Footballer of the Year. He was the top scorer in the 1992 and 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and made the World Soccer Team of the Year in 1996.

At the club level, Yekini excelled with Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) in Nigeria and Africa Sports in Côte d’Ivoire. He gained significant attention in Portugal with Vitoria Setubal, where he became the league’s top scorer in both the second division and top flight in consecutive seasons. Yekini also had stints with Sporting Gijon in Spain and FC Zurich in Switzerland.

Oliseh and Yekini shared many memorable moments with the national team, including winning the AFCON in 1994 and performing well at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. Their on-field chemistry was notable, with Oliseh often setting up Yekini with long passes.

Recently, Oliseh praised both Samson Siasia and Yekini while responding to a post on X marking the 30th anniversary of Siasia’s goal against Argentina in the 1994 World Cup. He highlighted Yekini’s intelligent play in assisting Siasia’s goal, calling him Nigeria’s greatest striker.

“Samson was simply exceptional. Look at his first touch control to dribble the defender, his composure, and the world-class finish. Yekini’s intelligence to first attract many players to himself before releasing Sammy with the assist is why he is the greatest striker Nigeria has ever had!” Oliseh wrote.

Rashidi Yekini passed away in May 2012 at the age of 48 after an illness.

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