Yakubu Abubakari was a Ghanaian footballer who primarily played as a defensive midfielder.
He was born on December 13, 1981 in a southern Ghanaian town, Tema, where he accidentally passed out.
The popular soccer player played for the Black Stars and later rose to the international scene playing for Great Mariners, Ajax and Vitesse.
He made 16 appearances while playing for the Black Stars and was part of their squad for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. He also won 16 caps for his country, being under Ratomir Dujković in the game. Yakubu also helped bring his country to the World Cup for the first time as he was among the players who took part in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Unfortunately, his name was eliminated from the finals.
The agile player represented Ghana in all age groups from under 17, under 20 to under 23. He was a versatile player and as such could also play in defence.
In the four years that followed, Yakubu played in an average of 15 league games, 89 appearances and Amsterdam’s participation in two national championships and the 2002 edition of the Dutch Cup. He played in five games in the UEFA Champions League in 2002/03 but the game ended for him in a quarter-final in favor of eventual champions AC Milan.
During his time in Amsterdam, Yakubu Abubakari won two Eredivisie titles in 2002 and 2004 and also played in the Champions League with the Dutch club. The Ghana international played a total of 89 appearances for Ajax.
Between 2004 and 2005 he was on loan to a scholarship league team Vitesse Arnhem. Yakubu Abubakari then signed a four-year permanent contract with Vitesse Arnhem, used intermittently over four seasons and released in the summer of 2009. In early October he had a court hearing with TSV 1860 Munich from Germany, but it was unsuccessful. The dead star played with Vitesse Arnhem for five years.
His death
On 31 October 2017, Ghana FA announced via a tweet, the death of former Black Stars midfielder, Yakubu Abubakari, reportedly died at Tema General Hospital, Ghana, following an undiagnosed illness. The energetic player passed away at the age of 35, shocking football fans in Ghana at his sad loss.
Several media reports claimed that the fallen national star died on the afternoon of the mentioned date as doctors were unable to treat his condition. He was reportedly admitted earlier in the week and placed on life support.
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Ghana’s qualifier against Egypt on November 12, 2017 in Cape Coast, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late former Black Stars midfielder Yakubu Abubakari before the game started. This was announced ahead of time on the country’s official FA Twitter handle.
However, from the time he died to this day, not much information is known about his health prior to his death.
The 36-year-old has been described as a great person on and off the pitch. He will be missed for his personality and talent.
See also: Top 10 best national football teams in Africa
Brief facts about Yakubu Abubakari
Name: Abubakari Yakubu
Date of birth: December 13, 1981 in Tema, Ghana
Date of Death: October 31, 2017 (aged 35) in Tema, Ghana
Height: 1.78m
Playing position: midfielder / defender
National team: Black Stars of Ghana
Youth career: Great Mariners and Ajax
Senior Career: Ajax (1999–2005, 65 appearances)
Vitesse (loan) (2004–2005, 31 appearances)
Vitesse (2005–2009, 49 appearances)
Total appearances during senior career: 145
Total goals in senior career: zero
honors
Eredivisie: 2001-02, 2003-04
KNVB Cup: 2001-02
Johan Cruyff Shield: 2002