Abubakari Yakubu (; 13 December 1981 – 31 October 2017) was a Ghanaian footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder but also as a defender.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abubakari Yakubu | ||
| Date of birth | 13 December 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Tema, Ghana | ||
| Date of death | 31 October 2017 (aged 35) | ||
| Place of death | Tema, Ghana | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Great Mariners | |||
| Ajax | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2005 | Ajax | 65 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → Vitesse (loan) | 31 | (0) |
| 2005–2009 | Vitesse | 49 | (0) |
| Total | 145 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002–2006 | Ghana | 16 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editBorn in Tema, Yakubu joined AFC Ajax at only 17, going on to remain in the Netherlands for one full decade.[1] He made his Eredivisie debut on 19 April 2000, playing 50 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against FC Den Bosch and finishing his first season with only five matches.
Yakubu played in an average of 15 league games in the following four years, going on to make 89 competitive appearances and helping the Amsterdam side to two national championships and the 2001–02 edition of the Dutch Cup.[2][1] During the 2002–03 campaign he featured in five matches in the UEFA Champions League, in a quarter-final run that ended at the hands of eventual champions A.C. Milan;[1] he spent 2004–05 on loan to fellow league team Vitesse Arnhem.[3]
In the ensuing off-season, Yakubu signed permanently with the latter club for four more years, being intermittently used during four seasons and released in the summer of 2009. In early October, he had an unsuccessful trial with TSV 1860 Munich from Germany.[4]
International career
editYakubu played for Ghana at every youth level, having represented the nation at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. He earned 16 full caps, being part of the Ratomir Dujković-led side at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in which they suffered a group stage exit.[1]
Yakubu also took part in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying stage, helping his country to a first-ever presence in the competition but being omitted from the final squad.[1]
Death
editOn 31 October 2017, Yakubu died at the Tema General Hospital in his native city at the age of 35, after battling an undisclosed illness.[5][1][6]
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Former Ghana star Abubakar dies at the age of 36". BBC Sport. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ "Obodai weet het zeker: Ajax wordt kampioen" [Obodai is sure: Ajax are champions] (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 16 March 2004. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012.
- ^ "Vitesse agree Yakubu loan". UEFA.com. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2006.
- ^ "Lucius in beeld bij 1860 München" [Lucius on trial with 1860 München] (in Dutch). NU.nl. 12 October 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
- ^ Deen, Samson (31 October 2017). "Sad news: Ex-Ghana international Yakubu Abubakar passes on". Samson Deen. Retrieved 1 November 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "John Mensah pays tribute to Yakubu Abubakari". Modern Ghana. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "A. Yakubu – Trophies". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
External links
edit- Stats at Voetbal International. Archived 2010-08-11 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch).
- Abubakari Yakubu at National-Football-Teams.com
- Abubakari Yakubu – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Abubakari Yakubu at Soccerway