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World Player Of The Week: Yakubu Aiyegbeni - Blackburn Rovers
Join Goal.com in saluting another player worthy of global recognition
02-Jan-2012 6:20:00 PM
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Welcome to Goal.com's regular feature: Goal.com World Player of the Week. Each week our worldwide team of editors will put forward a selected candidate, as chosen by Goal.com International, who deserves recognition for achieving something special that matchday. It won't necessarily be the best player in the world - at least not usually - but whoever we nominate will have accomplished something amazing. It might be for a particularly awesome performance or for something praiseworthy off the pitch - either way, the person in question deserves special attention...
Goal.com World Player of the Week #137: Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Club: Blackburn Rovers
Country: Nigeria
Age: 29
Role: Striker
Achievement: Stunned Manchester United with two goals
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was celebrating his 70th birthday on Saturday and must have been relishing the chance to garner maximum points against Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.
But Yakubu Aiyegbeni played the party-pooper and scored twice to lead Rovers to a memorable 3-2 victory to end 2011 on a high.
The 29-year-old's first goal came after just 16 minutes when he slotted home a spot-kick past David de Gea with ease.
Six minutes into the second half Yakubu doubled his side's advantage when he took advantage of Michael Carrick's failure to intercept a throw-in, raced past Phil Jones and found the back of the net.
The brace increases the Nigerian's tally to 12 goals from 14 Premier League matches for Blackburn this season and proved that for Rovers to escape relegation this season, Yakubu would have to turn on the style.
Congratulations to Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Goal.com's 137th World Player of the Week!
Honourable Mentions
Ji Dong-Won - Sunderland
Sunderland went into their home clash against Manchester City on New Year’s Day as underdogs, but carved out a remarkable win. After defending for much of the time at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats scored the winner deep into injury time thanks to a goal from Ji Dong-Won following a quick counter-attack.
Fawzi Chaouchi - MC Alger
Fawzi Chaouchi played a crucial role in leading his club side MC Alger to the last 32 of the Algerian Cup on Saturday. The Algerian goalkeeper stopped two spot-kicks in the shoot-out against MO Bejaia in a game that finished 1-1 after extra-time and 4-2 in his side’s favour on penalties.
Yuya Kubo - Kyoto Sanga
Yuya Kubo turned 18 on Christmas Eve and has since been creating the headlines in Japan. The teenager came on as a substitute in the semi-finals of Japan’s Emperor’s Cup against Yokohama F. Marinos and found the target in their 4-2 extra-time victory. Kubo was on the scoresheet in the final against FC Tokyo in a match that Kyoto lost 4-2. Between March 2011 until now, he was a full-time high school student and scored 13 goals in total in league and cup.
Goal.com World Player of the Week #137: Yakubu Aiyegbeni
Club: Blackburn Rovers
Country: Nigeria
Age: 29
Role: Striker
Achievement: Stunned Manchester United with two goals
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was celebrating his 70th birthday on Saturday and must have been relishing the chance to garner maximum points against Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford.
But Yakubu Aiyegbeni played the party-pooper and scored twice to lead Rovers to a memorable 3-2 victory to end 2011 on a high.
The 29-year-old's first goal came after just 16 minutes when he slotted home a spot-kick past David de Gea with ease.
Six minutes into the second half Yakubu doubled his side's advantage when he took advantage of Michael Carrick's failure to intercept a throw-in, raced past Phil Jones and found the back of the net.
The brace increases the Nigerian's tally to 12 goals from 14 Premier League matches for Blackburn this season and proved that for Rovers to escape relegation this season, Yakubu would have to turn on the style.
Congratulations to Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Goal.com's 137th World Player of the Week!
Honourable Mentions
Ji Dong-Won - Sunderland
Sunderland went into their home clash against Manchester City on New Year’s Day as underdogs, but carved out a remarkable win. After defending for much of the time at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats scored the winner deep into injury time thanks to a goal from Ji Dong-Won following a quick counter-attack.
Fawzi Chaouchi - MC Alger
Fawzi Chaouchi played a crucial role in leading his club side MC Alger to the last 32 of the Algerian Cup on Saturday. The Algerian goalkeeper stopped two spot-kicks in the shoot-out against MO Bejaia in a game that finished 1-1 after extra-time and 4-2 in his side’s favour on penalties.
Yuya Kubo - Kyoto Sanga
Yuya Kubo turned 18 on Christmas Eve and has since been creating the headlines in Japan. The teenager came on as a substitute in the semi-finals of Japan’s Emperor’s Cup against Yokohama F. Marinos and found the target in their 4-2 extra-time victory. Kubo was on the scoresheet in the final against FC Tokyo in a match that Kyoto lost 4-2. Between March 2011 until now, he was a full-time high school student and scored 13 goals in total in league and cup.
Leave your notes of congratulations for Yakubu Aiyegbeni below, or discuss who else deserves a place in the spotlight this week...
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