Emmanuel Dery
Ghana striker Abdul-Aziz Yakubu has scored his first goal since returning to Rio Ave after a proposed move to Egyptian giant Al-Ahly collapsed.
Yakubu scored what turned out to be a consolation goal in Rio Ave’s 1-3 loss to Vizela despite Rio taking the game’s lead in added-on time in the first half through Yakubu.
The former Estoril player converted a penalty to put Rio up just before the halftime break but Vizela got goals from Samu, Igor Juliao, and Milutin Osmajic to win the contest. (Click the highlighted text to watch game highlights)
Yakubu was primed to join Ahly early in the January transfer window but Ahly raised medical concerns over the 24-year-old’s twice surgically operated knee.
The medical situation got Ahly to opt for a loan move instead of a four-and-a-half-year straightforward deal. However, Rio’s 1.5 million Euros asking price for the loan deal put off Ahly.
His reaction on Twitter indicated his eagerness to put Ahly disappointment behind him.
“Where I’m from, we don’t know how to give up. Until the bones are rotten…Tough one to take but we keep going” he wrote. (Click the highlighted text to read tweet)
Yakubu’s goal in the loss is his ninth goal in 18 games in all competitions this season; he has registered three assists along the way.
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