Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has revealed that Nigerian fans continue to confront him over his infamous miss at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Despite the passage of 15 years, the moment remains a sore topic for many football enthusiasts in the country.
Aiyegbeni’s missed opportunity occurred during a group stage match against South Korea, where the Super Eagles needed a win to progress to the tournament’s knockout rounds.
With an open net at his mercy, Aiyegbeni failed to convert the chance, leaving fans stunned. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, effectively eliminating Nigeria from the competition.
Speaking on a podcast, Aiyegbeni disclosed that he still receives messages from fans who remind him of the moment.
“I still get messages from people, different people on that miss,” he shared. “One asked how will I explain this miss to my daughter Kayla. I was like wow, 13, 14 years ago people still think about that.”
The former Everton striker noted that the criticism often feels hurtful, with some going as far as to label him the worst striker to ever play for the Super Eagles.
However, Aiyegbeni expressed frustration that many fans overlook his contributions to Nigerian football, particularly during the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.
Recalling that campaign, Aiyegbeni said, “We went to Sudan when nobody thought we would qualify for the World Cup because the weather there was crazy, the weather was so hot.
A draw or a loss and we are out. I scored two, Julius Aghahowa and ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha also scored for us to win 4-0, and that got us the ticket to the World Cup.”
Despite playing a crucial role in ensuring Nigeria’s qualification, Aiyegbeni revealed he was left out of the squad for the 2002 tournament. He noted, “I played 99.9% of these games to qualify Nigeria to the World Cup, and I was still dropped.”
