GFA mourns African legends Yekini, Bocande

The Ghana Football Association has paid tributes to African greats Rashidi Yekini and Jules Bocande who died on Friday and Monday respectively.

Yekini, the former Nigeria international striker died on Friday at the age of 48.

Former Senegal striker Jules Bocande died on Monday at the age of 54.

He had been unwell for months after reportedly suffering a stroke and died following surgery in France.

In a statement, GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi said: "On behalf of the GFA, I would like send a message of sincere condolence to the families of Rashid Yekini and Jules Bocande at this time.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of untimely deaths of Yekini and Bocande.

"The football fraternity in Ghana will mourn the loss of these African greats. We would also like to extend our condolences to the football fraternity in Nigeria and Senegal.

"This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the families of the two legends of African football at this terrible time."

The prolific striker Yekini was the first Nigerian to take the continental crown and played a key role in some of his country's greatest football moments.

He scored Nigeria's first ever goal at the World Cup, against Bulgaria at USA '94, and led the way as they won the Africa Cup of Nations in the same year.

Yekini is Nigeria's top international scorer, with 37 goals from 58 games.

Bocande, who finished top scorer of France's Ligue 1 championship in 1985-86, played for his country in the 1980s and 1990s.

He never played at a World Cup but he did play a major role in engineering Senegal's run to the last eight of the 2002 finals in Asia.

He worked as assistant coach to Frenchman Bruno Metsu as the Teranga Lions stunned the world by reaching the quarter-finals.