Abubakari Yakubu facts for kids
| 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 | 1.78m | ||
| Playing position | 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) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2006 | Ghana | 16 | (0) |
|
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Abubakari Yakubu (13 December 1981 – 31 October 2017) was a talented Ghanaian footballer. He mostly played as a defensive midfielder, helping protect his team's goal. He could also play as a defender.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Abubakari Yakubu was born in Tema, Ghana. He moved to the Netherlands when he was just 17 years old. There, he joined a famous football club called AFC Ajax. He stayed in the Netherlands for ten years, playing for different teams.
Starting at Ajax
Yakubu played his first game in the Eredivisie, which is the top Dutch football league, on 19 April 2000. He played for 50 minutes in a match against FC Den Bosch. In his first season, he played five games.
Over the next four years, Yakubu played in about 15 league games each season. He played in 89 official matches for Ajax. He helped his team win two national championships. They also won the Dutch Cup in the 2001–02 season.
European Matches and Loan
During the 2002–03 season, Yakubu played in five matches in the UEFA Champions League. This is a very big tournament for European clubs. His team reached the quarter-finals but lost to A.C. Milan, who later won the tournament.
For the 2004–05 season, Yakubu played on loan for another Dutch team, Vitesse Arnhem. A loan means he played for them temporarily.
Moving to Vitesse
After his loan, Yakubu officially joined Vitesse Arnhem for four more years. He played for them on and off during these seasons. He left the club in the summer of 2009. Later that year, he tried out for a German team, TSV 1860 Munich, but it did not work out.
Playing for Ghana
Yakubu played for the Ghana national team at many different age levels. He represented his country in the under-17, under-20, and under-23 teams.
He played 16 official games for the senior Ghana team. He was part of the team that played in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. In that tournament, Ghana did not make it past the group stage.
Yakubu also helped Ghana qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time Ghana had ever made it to the World Cup! However, he was not chosen for the final team that went to the tournament.
His Passing
Abubakari Yakubu passed away on 31 October 2017, in his hometown of Tema, Ghana. He was 35 years old and had been battling an illness.
Achievements
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2001–02, 2003–04
- KNVB Cup: 2001–02
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2002
