Nigerian Professional Football League Immortalizes Rashidi Yekini

The highest goal scorer award during the close season of the Nigerian Professional Football Leage (NPFL) has been renamed the Rashidi Yekini award the League Management Company (LMC) chairman Shehu Dikko has said.

The Cable Nigeria quotes him saying:“There is a broad plan to institute awards and honour outstanding players, officials, key stakeholders and fans in the league at the end of every season and there are a number of factors that led us to reach the decision to name one of these awards, that of the highest goal scorer after the late Rashidi Yekini.

“The awards are part of strategic plans of the LMC to create commercial value and additional revenues out of the assets inherent in the league property,” he said.

“We considered the aspiration factor which seeks to let the players know that they too can become national heroes if they achieve excellence and make a success of their career. It says to them that they too can become legends of the game and the society will honour them as we have sought to honour the late Yekini.”

READ ALSO: Be Careful, Friends Warn Oliseh On Contract Terms With NFF

He continued: “We have received a request from the Rashidi Yekini Foundation to provide additional cash support to the winner and we are studying their proposal. There are already plans to officially unveil the special trophy for this award at one of the league game venues.”

Dikko said the  LMC intends to attract sponsors for the awards and other supporting categories. He revealed the LMC were in negotiations wit corporate firms on their potential participation in the NPFL Awards.

Yekini started his career with United Textile Mills Limited (UNTL) Kaduna before joining IICC Shooting Stars, now Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan.

He later moved to the defunct Abiola Babes before he joined Africa Sports of Cote d’Ivoire. The 1993 Africa Footballer of the Year scored 37 goals in 58 games for the Super Eagles. He died on May 4, 2012.

The post Nigerian Professional Football League Immortalizes Rashidi Yekini appeared first on News on Naij.com | Today's Nigeria Breaking news & headlines..