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Yakubu (Footballer)

Yakubu Ayegbeni, commonly known as Yakubu, is a Nigerian football agent and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born on November 22, 1982, in Nigeria, he began his career at the age of six with Julius Berger Group from the Nigerian League.

Early Career

Yakubu's early career was marked by his time at Haifa in Israel, where he joined the club in 1999 at the age of 17 for $300,000. He made his debut on January 22, 2001, and scored his first goal in a 2-3 win against Maccabi Netanya. Over the next two seasons, Yakubu established himself as an important player for Haifa, scoring six goals in 23 league appearances.

Move to Portsmouth

In 2003, Yakubu moved to English club Portsmouth on loan from Maccabi Haifa. The move became permanent later that year after Portsmouth's promotion to the Premier League. During his time at Portsmouth, Yakubu scored a total of seven goals in 14 matches, including a hat-trick against Olympiakos and a penalty in a 3-0 win over Manchester United.

Success with Portsmouth

Yakubu's success with Portsmouth was marked by their First Division title in the 2002-03 season. He scored at a rate of one goal every two games, netting seven goals from 14 matches. Yakubu also made his loan spell permanent in May 2003 for a fee of £4 million.

Premier League Career

Yakubu played 37 out of Portsmouth's 38 Premier League matches in the 2003-04 season, starting all but two. He scored 16 goals, making him the club's leading goal-scorer and joint sixth highest scorer in the entire league. Yakubu also made his first Premier League goal in just his second match against Manchester City.

International Career

Yakubu represented Nigeria at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, as well as the World Cup 2010 and the Sydney Football tournament in 2000. He is currently ranked fifth in the number of goals scored in the Premier League since its inception, with 96 gates to his name. Yakubu also ranks third among Nigerian players for most gateways.

Personal Life

Yakubu was born in Benin City, Nigeria, and began playing football at a