Yakubu makes a play for worst World Cup miss ever

Football fans were still marvelling today at the worst miss of the World Cup so far, when Nigerian striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu managed to miss an open goal from three yards out during his country's 2-2 draw with South Korea.

The tragedy is that his slapstick attempt at shooting means that Nigeria are now out of the World Cup, as a win instead of a draw would have saved them and sent them through to the knockout stages.

Debate is now raging as to whether it is the worst World Cup miss ever. While there are definitely other blunders which display similarly staggering ineptitude, few have had quite such drastic consequences.

Speaking yesterday, Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu had little sympathy for his misfiring teammate: "As a striker I think that's the easiest one to score, so if you miss it then I don't know what you will do."

BBC pundit Alan Shearere went one further. The former England striker said it was the worst miss he had ever seen. ·