Dickson Etuhu today refused to blame Yakubu for costing Nigeria a place in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The midfielder suffered double heartbreak as Nigeria went out following last night's 2-2 draw with South Korea, just a month after he was in the Fulham side that were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final.
Nigeria needed just one more goal to go through but missed a hatful of chances including a sitter from Yakubu, who shot wide of an unguarded goal from five yards when his side were trailing 2-1.
"You would have put your house on him to score that," said Etuhu. "But everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. We had our chances but weren't good enough to finish them and it's over now."
But he would not blame the Everton forward, a target for West Ham. "He is a top striker, a great player and I love playing with him. It could have happened to anyone and it's done now.
"We had a lot of chances in this World Cup to get the points we needed but it was a case of 'almost, almost' and now we are out."
And Etuhu added it was more painful than losing with Fulham last month.
"This is definitely worse. This is my country, and my country is everything to me, but the World Cup is finished for us now. It hurts. Everybody is down and there were a lot of people crying in the dressing room. We are a great nation with 150 million people behind us but we are out of the World Cup."
Kalu Uche put Nigeria ahead in the 12th minute before Ki Sung-Yeung equalised for the Koreans, who then went ahead when Park Chu-Young curled in the first direct free-kick of this World Cup.
Yakubu's miss - described by Alan Shearer as "the worst I have ever seen" - was followed by the striker scoring from the penalty spot but even then Nigeria had more chances, with former Newcastle star Obafemi Martins lifting a shot wide when he was clean through on goal.
Danny Shittu, Nigeria's former QPR defender, said: "I'm not a betting man but I would have put my house, my car - everything - on them to score. But it wasn't to be.
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"We just want to get away for a couple of weeks, see our families and children and lock ourselves away. It won't be easy to forget because everywhere you go people are talking about the World Cup."
Nigeria's Swedish coach Lars Lagerback was heavily criticised and there is talk of Kanu replacing him but the former Arsenal striker said: "The organisation from above has to be right for anyone to want to take the job. I would not take that nonsense.
"Portsmouth have offered me a new contract and I have to think about that. It has been a crazy season with Portsmouth but this is worse because it is my country."
