Yakubu Aiyegbeni: 10 things you don't know about the Ex-Super Eagles Striker

Yakubu Aiyegbeni is often remembered for a glaring miss during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, specifically in the match against South Korea.

In the match, Nigeria needed a win to progress in the tournament, and Yakubu had an opportunity to score from close range into an open net.

However, he missed this seemingly simple chance, a moment that has haunted him for 14 years.

The former Super Eagles striker affectionately known as "The Yak," was born November 22, 1982, he gained prominence playing for Maccabi Haifa in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League.

This led to a move to Portsmouth, where he helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2003. Yakubu went on to play over 250 Premier League matches for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers, scoring 96 goals, making him the fourth-highest African goalscorer in the league's history.

A prolific scorer for Nigeria, he is the nation's fourth-highest scorer and represented the Super Eagles at four African Cup of Nations finals, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Here are some lesser-known facts about the Nigerian striker:

Yakubu's nearly-transfer to Chelsea occurred in 2008 when he was a key player for Middlesbrough. However, a severe Achilles injury that sidelined him for 11 months ultimately prevented the dream move.

He described it as a "very, very close" opportunity and highlighted the serious nature of the potential move.

Aiyegbeni became the first African Player to score a UEFA Champions League hat trick. He set the record in 2002 while playing for Maccabi Haifa against Olympiacos in his debut game.

Yakubu's goals in the 26th, 60th, and 86th minutes made history by making him one of only three teenagers (alongside Raul Gonzalez and Wayne Rooney) to achieve a Champions League hat-trick.

Most Nigerians will never forget his miss during the 2010 FIFA World Cup against South Korea.

Nigeria needed a win to advance to the next round at the World Cup, he missed an open goal from close range.

After the game, he endured persistent bullying over his missed goal in South Africa.

Yakubu is Nigeria's fourth-highest goalscorer in history, with 21 goals in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles, behind Rashidi Yekini (37), Victor Osimhen (25) and Segun Odegbami (22).

The former Coventry City star represented the Super Eagles for 12 years, debuting at age 17 on April 22, 2000, in a 4-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Eritrea. During that period he made 58 appearances which included playing at the FIFA World Cup and four African Cup of Nations.

Yakubu was born in Benin City, in Edo State. He began his football journey on the streets before he joined Gateway FC's youth setup in 1994, he later moved to Julius Berger in Lagos, where he played in the Nigerian Premier League as a teenager, and was later loaned to Gil Vicente in Portugal.

Yakubu ranks as the fourth-highest African goalscorer in Premier League history with 96 goals, trailing only Mohamed Salah, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Sadio Mané.

Aiyegbeni scored an impressive 96 goals in 252 Premier League appearances. Though he never won the Golden Boot, his consistent scoring record across Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn established him as a Premier League mainstay.

At Portsmouth, he became their all-time Premier League top scorer with a still-standing record of 16 goals in a season. At Everton, his debut season saw him score 15 goals, inspiring the memorable chant "Feed the Yak! He will score!" at Goodison Park.

After retiring in 2017, Yakubu transitioned from being a professional footballer to a football agent becoming a licensed agent to mentor and guide talents.

Yakubu founded Wilbury Sports Management, with a training centre in Florida and expansion plans for Cyprus.

He featured for Nigeria at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia, wearing the number 9 shirt.

At just 17 years old, he scored an injury-time equalizer in Nigeria's opening 3-3 draw against Honduras.

While at Portsmouth, manager Harry Redknapp famously bet Yakubu £20,000 that he wouldn't score 20 league goals in his first year. Yakubu scored 19, coming agonisingly close to winning the personal wager.

Having played in countries like Israel, England, China, and Qatar, Yakubu developed proficiency in multiple languages, aiding his adaptability and communication on and off the pitch.