Former Ghana international Yakubu Abubakari has died aged just 36 after battling illness.
Abubakari, who spent six seasons with Dutch giants Ajax, is reported to have been under oxygen support at the Tema Government Hospital before his demise on Tuesday afternoon.
Yakubu was a member of the Black Stars squad that qualified Ghana for their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2006.
Yakubu Abubakari (Zapata) played for #Ghana U17, U20, U23 and Black Stars. He also played for Dutch sides @AFCAjax & @MijnVitesse . RIP.
(GFA)The Ghana Football Association is saddened by the sudden death of Abubakari.
He made 16 appearances for the senior national team and also starred for junior teams; Black Starlets, Satellites and Meteors.
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 April 19, 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 and the 2002 edition of the Dutch Cup.
He spent the 2004–05 campaign on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie.
In the ensuing off-season, Yakubu signed permanently with Vitesse for four years and was released in the summer of 2009. In early October, he had an unsuccessful trial with TSV 1860 München in Germany.
Yakubu won the Eredivisie twice with Ajax in 2002 and 2004.