David Moyes was left furious after Everton initially received the wrong Chinese World Cup star during the 2002 tournament, but the mix-up ultimately led to the signing of Joseph Yobo, who became a club legend and earned his 100th Nigeria cap at the 2014 World Cup.
Moyes' scouting mission in 2002 World Cup
New Everton manager David Moyes, who replaced Walter Scott Smith less than three months earlier, was sent to Japan and South Korea on a scouting mission during the 2002 World Cup. Everton had struck a landmark sponsorship deal with Chinese mobile phone company Kejian, which included the option to bring one of China's World Cup squad to play in the Premier League. Moyes ran the rule over defeats to Costa Rica (2-0), eventual winners Brazil (4-0), and Turkey (3-0), selecting midfielder Li Tie. However, he was initially sent defender Li Weifeng instead.
Fury and confusion over the wrong player
Moyes was reportedly furious after being kept in the dark about the change. The confusion stemmed from Tie's club, Liaoning Bird, refusing to release the player to Kejian, an industry rival of their own sponsors. After further negotiations, both players ended up coming to Merseyside. Tie impressed on loan and joined permanently the next summer for £1.2 million, while Weifeng made just two appearances before returning to China. Tie is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in China after confessing to corruption charges in 2024.
Yobo catches Moyes' eye
While in the Far East, another prospect caught Moyes' eye: Joseph Yobo. Having established himself in Belgium at Standard Liege, Yobo moved to Olympique Marseille the previous summer. Still only 21, he showed versatility by playing in three different positions for Nigeria in the group stages of the 2002 World Cup: holding midfielder against Argentina, right-back against Sweden, and centre-back against England.
Moyes' 'try before you buy' method lands Yobo
With funds tight, Moyes employed his 'try before you buy' method, successfully replicated with Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar. He secured Yobo on a season-long loan for a relatively modest £1 million with an option to buy, reportedly beating off interest from Juventus, Arsenal, and Newcastle United. Moyes said: "As far as I'm concerned, he's Nigeria's best player and I'm sure he'll go on to captain his country. He played in several different positions for his country in the World Cup which gives us a great opportunity to use him just where we see fit."
Yobo's impact at Everton
Before the turn of the calendar year, Everton had seen enough promise to turn the loan permanent. Yobo signed a four-year contract the following May for a £4 million fee. Possibly the Blues' quickest centre-back since Kevin Ratcliffe, Yobo became a towering presence in Moyes' defence for the next eight years. He was a regular in the 2004/05 team that achieved Everton's highest-ever Premier League finish of fourth and played in the 2009 FA Cup final. He became the first African to captain Everton, and his 259 appearances are topped only by Tim Howard (414) and Tim Cahill (278) among non-British players.
World Cup captaincy and 100th cap
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, but Yobo returned as captain for the 2010 tournament in South Africa, though he was on loan at Fenerbahce. He led his side in defeats to Argentina and Greece, and a draw with South Korea. In the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Yobo came off the bench against Iran, captained the side against Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-0 win) and Argentina (3-2 loss), and earned his 100th cap against France in Brasilia. His last touch was a stoppage-time own goal in a 2-0 defeat. Yobo said: "This is it. I can look back on my career with great pride. I wanted to leave on a high for my country. Defeat by France was not the right way to go but I'm happy with all I've done for the national team. It's time to give a chance to other people to come through."
Yobo's love for Everton
Reflecting on his time at Goodison Park, Yobo echoed Howard Kendall's words: "After a couple of games, I couldn't believe how much I liked it. I loved Everton so much, it was like a marriage… Everton showed me to the world, they made me Joseph Yobo."
