Over two decades since leaving Vitória Setu’bal, Nigerian goal legend, Rashidi Yekini is still adored and loved in the small Portuguese city of Setu’bal according to former Super Eagles forward Henry Makinwa.
Makinwa who enjoyed a successful spell at the Portuguese club between 1998 and 2001 told one of Nigeria’s foremost Whatsapp Group, Family United By Football (FUBF) that the Ira born goal legend is still seen as a mini god in Setu’bal even after so many years he left the club.
Yekini enjoyed over four seasons in his two spells with the club, helping them gain promotion to the Primeira Liga in the 1992/1993 season and was top scorer for the club and in the apex league the following season and Makinwa believes his performance at the club became a yardstick to measure success for any Nigerian player signed by the club.
“Yekini is being idolized by almost everyone at Vitória Setu’bal. Infact any Nigerian signed by the club will be asked if they can do half of what he did when he was a player there and I was asked the same question before I got signed there.
“Many Nigerian player who played at Vitória Setu’bal after Rashidi Yekini benefited off the ‘cult hero’ status of Yekini.
- Late Rashidi Yekini
“Everyone loves him and every black man on the street of Setu’bal is Yekini. He is well respected in Portugal because he was disciplined, highly intelligent, quiet and meticulous. I heard a lot of good things about him when I joined the club and till now, he is being used as a yardstick to measure the success of any Nigerian player in Setu’bal.
Henry Makinwa, who is the present Manager of Nigeria Professional Football League side Katsina United, donned the colour of Portuguese side Vitória Setu’bal between 1998 to 2001, appeared 73 times for the modest club, scoring 11 times.
