Najeeb Yakubu

Last updated

Najeeb Yakubu
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth Accra, Ghana
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Persijap Jepara
Number 55
Youth career
UniStar Academy
–2017 New Town Youth
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018 Niger Tornadoes
2018–2024 Vorskla Poltava 66 (2)
2022–2023Ilves (loan) 17 (0)
2024–2025 Prishtina 17 (0)
2025– Persijap Jepara 4 (0)
International career
2017 Ghana U17 9 (0)
2022– Niger 15 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 August 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2024

Najeeb Yakubu (born 1 May 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Super League club Persijap Jepara. Born in Ghana, he plays for the Niger national team.

Contents

Club career

On 20 April 2022, Yakubu joined CD Lugo in Spain under the special FIFA regulations related to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, he only participated in training and did not appear in any league games. [2] [3]

In August 2022 he once again suspended his contract with Vorskla under the same regulations, this time until 30 June 2023, and moved to Ilves in Finnish Veikkausliiga. [4] [5]

International career

Born in Ghana, Yakubu is of Nigerien descent.

He has expressed interest in playing for the Ukraine national team. [6]

He was called up to the Niger national team for a set of friendlies in March 2022. [7] He debuted with Niger as a late substitute in a 3–0 friendly loss to Egypt on 23 September 2022. [8]

Career statistics

Club

As of 30 August 2025 [9] [10]
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] ContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Vorskla Poltava 2018–19 Ukrainian Premier League 51102 [b] 061
2019–20 Ukrainian Premier League13120151
2020–21 Ukrainian Premier League19020210
2021–22 Ukrainian Premier League160102 [c] 0190
2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League00000000
2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League13020150
Total662804000782
Ilves (loan) 2022 Veikkausliiga 8080
2023 Veikkausliiga90101 [d] 0110
Total170100010190
Prishtina 2024–25 Kosovo Superleague 17000170
Persijap Jepara 2025–26 Super League 400040
Career total10429040101182
Notes

International

As of match played 18 November 2024 [11]
Niger
YearAppsGoals
202220
202370
202460
Total150

Honours

Ilves

References

  1. "Najeeb Yakubu". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  2. "FIFA adopts temporary employment and registration rules to address several issues in relation to war in Ukraine". FIFA. 7 March 2022.
  3. "Najeeb Yakubu se incorpora a la dinámica de trabajo del primer equipo" (Press release) (in Spanish). CD Lugo. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  4. "Колись хотів грати за збірну України: лідер "Ворскли" пішов з команди". sportyvka.com.ua. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  5. "MONIPUOLINEN NAJEEB YAKUBU KELTAVIHREISIIN – "MINULLA ON KOKEMUSTA EUROPELEISTÄ"" (in Finnish). Ilves. 20 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. "Ukraine National Team Eyeing Najeeb Yakubu | Sports Corna". sportscorna.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021.
  7. "EXCLUSIVE: Former Ghana U17 defender Najeeb Yakubu gets Niger national team invitation". GhanaSoccernet. 17 March 2022.
  8. "%competition_name% (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports.
  9. Najeeb Yakubu at Soccerway . Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  10. Najeeb Yakubu, Global Sports Archive
  11. Najeeb Yakubu at National-Football-Teams.com