Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has finally opened up on his terrible against South Korea at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Speaking with a South African journalist, Carol Tshabalala via Instagram live, Yakubu said missing an open goal in the World Cup ten years ago was the most difficult moment of his career.
Nigeria lost the opening two matches to Argentina and Greece respectively and could have fancied their chances of advancing to the knockout stage with a win against the Asian.
Yakubu was put clear in the 66th by Yusuf Ayila after fine work from Kalu Uche, the striker had an open goal to tap in from 6th yards out, but managed to flop the chance.
“Missing one of the chances of the decade of the World Cup in South Africa 2010, I still get messages everyday about it, sometimes some of them are being nice, sometimes some of them are being rude, ” he said.
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The former Everton, Blackburn and Portsmouth striker said people are still sending messages, asking questions on what happened at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
“I just ignore them, some of them are looking for attention. In football you miss chances, they are thinking about the miss, they are not thinking of the joy you bring to people’s lives when you play.
“You miss chances in your clubsides and you still play the next game and people forget about it, but going back home you miss chances and people still think about it.”
The big striker is third in Nigeria’s all-time goal scorers chat with 21 goals in 57 games, just two goals behind the great Segun Odebgami who’s on 23 goals and Rashidi Yekini on 39 goals.
Yakubu also said former Super Eagles striker, Daniel Amokachi was his role model before he had the opportunity to play for the national team.
“Growing up watching Amokachi was something nice, I call him sexy big brother. He’s a nice guy. He was the assistant manager of the national team as well when I was in the national team, so it was an honour to be with him in the same team, we didn’t play together there, we were very close.
“Watching him on TV, the way he bullied the defenders, the way he scores goals, you can see the smile on his face and the dedication is there.
“Watching him, Kanu and Jay-Jay is unbelievable.”
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