Nigerians still bully me for Word Cup tap-in miss – Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has opened up about the persistent bullying and criticism he continues to face from Nigerians over a missed goal during a World Cup game 13 to 14 years ago.

The unforgettable event took place on June 22, 2010, during a crucial World Cup match between Nigeria and South Korea. Aiyegbeni missed a tap-in opportunity when Nigeria was trailing 2-1 against the Koreans in their final Group A match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in South Africa.

Although Aiyegbeni later redeemed himself by scoring from the penalty spot, the Nigerian football fanatics found it hard to move past the shocking miss.

In a recent interview, shared on the social media platform X, Aiyegbeni expressed his frustration over the persistent messages he receives from angry fans demanding an explanation for the missed opportunity.

“I still receive messages from people. Different messages. I remember one person sent a message last week, asking, ‘how do you explain that missed goal to your daughter Kayla?’ He mentioned my daughter’s name ‘Kayla’. It happened 13 to 14 years ago, and people still bring it up,” Aiyegbeni shared emotionally.

He continued, “Today, I received a message from someone saying, ‘you’re the worst Super Eagles striker’ because of that particular missed goal. They never consider all the other goals I’ve scored.”

Aiyegbeni then highlighted his significant contributions to Nigerian football, recalling a crucial match in Sudan where he played a pivotal role in securing qualification for the Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup.

“People in Nigeria never talk about how I helped them qualify but didn’t make it to the World Cup. I was shocked. I played in 99.9% of every game to secure Nigeria’s qualification for Korea-Japan, and yet I was dropped,” Aiyegbeni explained.

He emphasized the lack of recognition for his achievements and sacrifices for the national team, pointing out instances where he delivered crucial goals that secured Nigeria’s place in major tournaments.