[1] He made his Eredivisie debut on 19 April 2000, playing 50 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against Den Bosch and finishing his first season with only five matches.
Yakubu played in an average of 15 league games in the following four years, going on to make 89 competitive appearances and helping the Amsterdam side to two national championships and the 2001–02 edition of the Dutch Cup.
He earned 16 full caps, being part of the Ratomir Dujković-led side at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in which they suffered a group stage exit.
[1] Yakubu also took part in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying stage, helping his country to a first-ever presence in the competition but being omitted from the final squad.
[1] On 31 October 2017, Yakubu died at the Tema General Hospital in his native city at the age of 35, after battling an undisclosed illness.