Former Ghana and Ajax midfielder Yakubu Abubakar dies at 36

Former Ghana And Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Yakubu Abubakar has passed on in his native country Ghana after battling some illness, Ghanasoccernet.com can reveal.

Yakubu who died on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 36 is reported to have been under oxygen support at the Tema Government Hospital before given up.

Yakubu, a former Ajax and Vitesse player was a member of the Black Stars squad that qualified Ghana for their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2006.

Born in Tema, Yakubu joined AFC Ajax at only 17, going on to remain in the Netherlands for one full decade. He made his Eredivisie debut on 19 April 2000, playing 50 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against FC Den Bosch and finishing his first season with only five appearances.

Yakubu played in an average of 15 league games in the following four years, helping the Amsterdam side to two national championships[1] and the 2002 edition of the Dutch Cup.

He spent the 2004–05 campaign on loan to fellow league team Vitesse Arnhem.

In the ensuing off-season, Yakubu signed permanently with the latter club for four years, being intermittently used during four seasons and released in the 2009 summer. In early October, he had an unsuccessful trial with TSV 1860 München from Germany.

Yakubu won the Eridivise twice with Ajax in 2002 and 2004.