Jay Jay Okocha: Super Eagles Legend Opens Up on Biggest Regret in His Football Career
- 1994 AFCON Winner Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has opened up about his biggest regret in his football career, despite his popularity
- The 51-year-old attended five Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments and two FIFA World Cups, captaining the Super Eagles during the 2002 edition
- The former Enugu Rangers player made his mark in England following his move to Bolton Wanderers, where coach Sam Allardyce brought him in
Super Eagles icon Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has expressed regret over not winning a particular award during his playing career.
The ex-PSG player won the 1994 AFCON and claimed a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics with Nigeria's Dream Team.
The former Fenerbahce player captained Nigeria to the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan under coach Festus Onigbinde.
Source: Getty Images
Okocha reflects missing out on CAF POTY
Nigeria icon Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has expressed his disappointment over not winning the CAF Player of the Year award during his playing days.
According to Soccernet, the Bolton Wanderers legend believes he did enough to claim Africa’s most prestigious individual award.
Okocha also mentioned that winning the BBC Player of the Year award helped serve as a form of compensation for his inability to secure the CAF honour. He said via Master Card-sponsored Q&A:
“Honestly, I do not want to sound greedy and ungrateful, but I’ve had an amazing career, I never thought I would make it that big in my life.
“But of course, if you look back, there’s always a time when you say, ‘Oh, maybe you could’ve done a bit better than you did.’ And if I’m to say, I’ll say, I regret not winning the African Footballer of the Year.”
“I thought I did enough to have won it because it wasn’t a fluke that I won BBC Player of the Year three years in a row and still didn’t manage to win that CAF award. But, I mean, maybe it was not meant to be," he added.
Nigeria legend Okocha finished behind Moroccan legend Mustapha Hadji in 1998 and Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto'o in 2004 per CAF.
He won the BBC Player of the Year back-to-back (2003 and 2004) per BBC.
Source: Getty Images
Itodo claims Okocha is Africa's most outstanding midfielder
Nigerian journalist Michael Itodo has rated Austin Okocha above other African midfielders, calling him the continent's most exceptional talent in that position.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Itodo emphasised that no African player has matched the skill and flair of the Super Eagles legend. He stated:
"I can confidently say that former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha remains the most outstanding midfielder to have emerged from Africa.
"The Super Eagles legend made a massive impact both on the continent and in Europe with his unique style of play. His previous coaches always had confidence that he would dictate the tempo of the game.
"We believed we could find a replacement for him, but even now, Nigeria has yet to produce a creative attacking midfielder of his caliber. Many thought the likes of Mikel Obi and Rabiu Ibrahim could fill his shoes, but I can tell you that no one comes close to unbuckling Okocha's sandals."
Okocha blasts Carragher over AFCON disrespect
Legit.ng earlier reported Super Eagles legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha threw a jab at football pundit Jamie Carragher over his comments berating the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Carragher, a Liverpool legend, said Mohamed Salah's chances of becoming the best player in the world are slim because the AFCON is not a major tournament.
The Bolton legend said Jamie Carragher does not deserve the attention he’s getting from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the legends.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
Dare Kuti (Sports Editor) Dare Kuti is a CAVB-accredited journalist based in Nigeria. He is renowned for his work in football, volleyball, wrestling, taekwondo and handball. He has covered several major competitions including the African Games hosted by Morocco and Ghana, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, CAF Events, as well as grassroots competitions across the continent. Email: dare.kuti@corp.legit.ng.
Kola Muhammed (Copyeditor) Kola Muhammed is an experienced editor and content strategist who has overseen content and public relations strategies for some of the biggest (media) brands in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has over 5 years of experience in copyediting.
