Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has opened up about his shocking miss at the 2010 FIFA World Cup against South Korea.
Regarded as one of the most infamous misses in World Cup history, the former Nigerian striker failed to tap in from close range, with his effort sailing wide off the right-hand post in a game where the Super Eagles were trailing 2-1 in their final group stage match.
The former Everton man would later score from the spot, but his miss totally overshadowed his performance on the day, leaving Super Eagles fans heartbroken.
Fourteen years on, the pain of that miss still resonates among many Nigerians. as "Yak" has disclosed that people still talk about that miss even today.
"Playing at the World Cup in South Africa was another great opportunity to represent my country. We should all forget the miss and remember the good moments. It’s funny when people still talk about it – it's almost 14 years now – and they still focus on the miss instead of the good times," the 41-year-old told Flashscore.
Some shocking misses in football..
— Abochie (Fan) 🧘🏽♂️ (@_abochie) July 5, 2024
A thread 🧵
1. Yakubu Ayegbeni pic.twitter.com/paaYVeMMUa
The former Blackburn and Leicester City striker added that he never regrets the decision to represent Nigeria, as he believes it was an honor to play for his country.
"Regret playing for Nigeria? No chance. It was an honor to play for Nigeria. Every player dreams of representing their country. I was born in Nigeria, grew up in Benin, Edo State, and it was an honor to wear the green and white jersey," he added.
Aiyegbeni scored 21 goals in 58 caps for the Super Eagles from 2000 to 2012.
Check out the interview below courtesy of @sportingshina on X.
EXCLUSIVE: Yakubu tells he has no regrets playing for Nigeria 🇳🇬 and coping with infamous World Cup miss. 📌 pic.twitter.com/kd3UEwJCAa
— Shina Oludare 🇳🇬 (@sportingshina) October 24, 2024
