Ricky Yacobi

Ricky Yacobi (born Ricky; 12 March 1963 – 21 November 2020) was an Indonesian football player. He usually played as a striker and was one of the most prominent Indonesian footballers of the 1980s. His nickname was the "Indonesian Paul Breitner". He made a name for himself at the 1986 Asian Games when he led the Indonesia national team to the semi-finals.

Early life Ricky was born on 12 March 1963 in Medan, North Sumatra. His father, Yacob, came from Manado, North Sulawesi, while his mother came from Medan itself. He was born mononymously with a single name, Ricky, and subsequently adopted his father's name, Yacob, as his last name. However, during his time playing football in Japan, he found that many people pronounced his name as "Yacobi" for ease of pronunciation, and he chose to embrace this variation. In 1978, he moved to Srinaga. His great talent then led him to join Teras and then Perisai which was fostered by the Directorate General of Taxes and trained by Wibisono.

In 1980, he was recruited by PSMS Medan and played for the under-18 team, which successfully won the Soeratin Cup that year. Subsequently, he, along with several of his teammates, including Juanda, Supardi, and Bambang Usmanto, was promoted to the senior team by the coach at that time, Yuswardi. He played with PSMS Medan in the Perserikatan tournament until 1985, after he was recruited by Arseto Solo, a club competing in Galatama.

During his five-year tenure at PSMS Medan, Yacobi contributed to the team by securing two Perserikatan titles, specifically in the seasons of 1983 and 1985.

In 1988, Japanese club Matsushita Electric (currently known as Gamba Osaka) bought him, but he was unable to make a significant impact on the team due to difficulties in adapting to the climate and weather conditions. He only played 6 games for the club, scoring one goal before returning to Arseto Solo the following year.

International career He was a part of the Indonesia national team during the 1987 and 1989 Southeast Asian Games, where he contributed to the team's achievements of winning gold and bronze medals, respectively.

Personal life Born as a Muslim, he initiated a profound study of his religious teachings following his return from Japan in 1989.

Yacobi was married to Harly Ramayani. Their child, Sabihisma Arsyi, is a former swimming athlete who is currently pursuing triathlon.

After retiring as a footballer, Yacobi opened a football school called Sekolah Sepak Bola (SSB) Ricky Yacobi in Jakarta, which he operated. He also served as manager of one of the first Indonesian division clubs, Jakarta Matador FC.

Death On 21 November 2020 Yacobi died of a heart attack while playing football with several former national team players and journalists at Senayan A Field, Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex. One of his teammates said that Yacobi suddenly fell when he was about to celebrate after scoring a goal. He was rushed to the nearby , but to no avail.

Career statistics

International

Indonesia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Yacobi goal.

Honours PSMS Medan U18 Soeratin Cup: 1980

PSMS Medan Perserikatan: 1983, 1985

Arseto Solo Galatama: 1990–92 Galatama-Perserikatan Invitational Championship: 1987

Indonesia SEA Games gold medal: 1987; bronze medal: 1989

Individual Galatama top scorers: 1986–87, 1990