Yakubu will make himself public enemy No.1 in his beloved Nigeria if he helps Reading shock Arsenal in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.
Royals’ striker, who scored the winner in the fifth round tie at Derby, has been inundated with requests for tickets ever since Steve Clarke’s set up their meeting with the Gunners.
His friends back home have all been on the phone, asking him to get them into Wembley.
But it’s not so they can see the 32-year-old make his first ever appearance at the famous stadium, it’s so they can cheer on Arsene Wenger’s side.
“All my friends back home support Arsenal,” said Yakubu.
“Whenever I play them I always give them tickets to come and watch and they say to me they want me to lose. They say I can score one, but that’s it.
“They never want me to win. But that’s normal.
“Back home in Nigeria, 60 per cent of the country supports Arsenal. They love them.
Yakubu celebrates scoring for Blackburn against Arsenal.
“Arsenal fans are all over the place. Even when the Nigerian players are playing against Arsenal, they want Arsenal to win. It’s strange but you have to accept it.”
Yakubu has enjoyed a good record against Arsenal over his long career, scoring five times.
He did, however, miss a golden chance to score a goal which would have toppled the famous Invincibles side of 2004.
And he admits if he had stuck that chance away while playing for Portsmouth at Fratton Park, he would probably never been able to return to Nigeria.
“It’s always been the same,” he said.
“When I was at Middlesbrough or Portsmouth, they always want me to lose.
“My friends always do that to me. So I always tease them whenever Arsenal lose. I do it a lot.
“Whenever I beat Arsenal I say to them, did you guys win today? And they go crazy with me.”
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