Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has expressed frustration over the persistent criticism he faces from Nigerians for a missed goal 13 to 14 years ago.
On June 22, 2010, during a World Cup match between Nigeria and South Korea, Aiyegbeni missed a tap-in when Nigeria was trailing 2-1 in their final Group A game at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa.
Despite later scoring from the penalty spot, Super Eagles fans struggled to forget the astonishing miss. Aiyegbeni revealed in a recent interview that he continues to receive messages from upset fans demanding an explanation for the missed tap-in, even mentioning his daughter’s name in some cases.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
“I still get messages from people. Different messages. I remember one was sending a message last week and he was like ‘how do you explain that goal missed to your daughter Kayla’ he mentioned my daughter’s name ‘Kayla.’ I was like 13 to 14 years ago, and people still think about that,” he lamented.
Aiyegbeni highlighted his frustration, noting that critics often overlook his numerous achievements, such as scoring crucial goals in Sudan to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup. Despite playing a significant role in qualification, he was dropped for the tournament, a fact that often goes unnoticed in the face of the lingering criticism for the missed tap-in.