.jpg) Okocha playing in a 2017 charity match | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Augustine Azuka Okocha[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1973-08-14)14 August 1973 (age 52)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Enugu,Enugu State, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Enugu Rangers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1992 | Borussia Neunkirchen | 35 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 90 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | Fenerbahçe | 62 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Paris Saint-Germain | 84 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | Bolton Wanderers | 124 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Qatar SC | 41 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Hull City | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Durgapur Vox Champions | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 454 | (89) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2006 | Nigeria | 73 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (/əˈkɒtʃə/ə-KOTCH-ə; born 14 August 1973)[2] is a Nigerian former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder. He had 73 caps for theNigeria national team between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals, and was a member of threeFIFA World Cup squads. He is regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time and one of the most influentialdribblers in world football history.[3]
He played across multiple leagues, starting his career atEnugu Rangers in theNigerian Professional Football League before moving toBorussia Neunkirchen in theOberliga Südwest, Germany's third division, in July 1990. He played in theBundesliga,Süper Lig,Ligue 1,Premier League,EFL Championship, andQatar Stars League before his retirement in 2008.
Okocha was born inEnugu,Enugu State.[1] The name "Jay-Jay" was passed down from his elder brother James, who started playing football first; his immediate elder brother,Emmanuel was also called Emma Jay-Jay, but the name stuck with him instead. He began playing football on the streets just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball.[4]
In an interview withBBC Sport he said, "As far as I can remember, we used to play with anything, with any round thing we could find, and whenever we managed to get hold of a ball, that was a bonus! I mean it was amazing!" In 1990, he joinedEnugu Rangers. In his time at the club he produced many spectacular displays, including one where he rounded off and scored a goal against experienced Nigerian goalkeeperWilly Okpara in a match againstBCC Lions of Gboko. Later that year, he went on holiday to West Germany, the country that had just won the1990 FIFA World Cup, so he could watch German league football.[5] His friend Binebi Numa was playing in the Third Division forBorussia Neunkirchen, and one morning Okocha accompanied Numa to training, where he asked to join in. The Neunkirchen coach was impressed with Okocha's skills and invited him back the next day before offering him a contract.[6] A year later, he joined1. FC Saarbrücken, but stayed only a few months with the2. Bundesliga side before a move to theBundesliga withEintracht Frankfurt.[7]
Okocha joinedEintracht Frankfurt in December 1991, where he linked up with many well-known players including Ghanaian international strikerTony Yeboah and laterThomas Doll. He continued to shine for the German side, one highlight being a goal he scored againstKarlsruher SC, dribbling in the penalty box, even going past some players twice, and slotting the ball past goalkeeperOliver Kahn.[8] The goal was voted Goal of the Season by many football magazines, and also voted as the 1993Goal of the Year by viewers ofSportschau (anARD German TV sports programme).[9] In 1995, Okocha, Yeboah andMaurizio Gaudino were all involved in a feud with managerJupp Heynckes, which led to their departure from the club.[10]
Yeboah and Gaudino later left for England, while Okocha stayed until the end of the season when Eintracht were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, before signing forSüper Lig clubFenerbahçe. In theBundesliga he scored 18 goals in 90 matches.[11]
Okocha joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe for approximately £1 million following Eintracht Frankfurt's relegation to the 2. Bundesliga.[6] In his two seasons with the team, he amassed 30 goals in 62 appearances, many of them coming from direct free kicks, which became something of a trademark for him at the club.[12]
Okocha acquired Turkish citizenship during his time at the club and chose the nameMuhammed Yavuz while playing.[13][14][15]
In 1998, French sideParis Saint-Germain spent around £14 million to sign Okocha,[6] making him the most expensive African player at the time. In his four-year stint with PSG, he played 84 matches and scored 12 goals. He also served as a mentor for young Brazilian footballer and futureBallon d'Or winnerRonaldinho during his time inParis.[16]
In the2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup Okocha would go on to score 5 goals and help PSG become joint champions along withAston Villa F.C. andES Troyes AC.[17]
On 18 June Okocha joinedBolton Wanderers on a free transfer after leaving PSG in the summer of 2002 following theFIFA World Cup.[18] His debut season, despite being hampered by injuries, made him a favourite with the Bolton fans, with the team printing shirts with the inscription "Jay-Jay – so good they named him twice". He steered the team away from relegation with seven goals, including one later voted the team's Goal of the Season in the vital league win againstWest Ham United.[19] This was also chosen as Bolton's best ever Premier League goal by a fan vote in 2008.[20] The next season saw Okocha receive more responsibility as he was given the captain's armband followingGuðni Bergsson's retirement. As captain he led Bolton to the2004 Football League Cup final, their first cup final in nine years, where they finished runners-up toMiddlesbrough.[21]
In 2006, Okocha was stripped of the captaincy—something he said he had seen coming, as there had been a change in attitude from some staff members. This was likely due to his proposed move to the Middle East, which had been the subject of growing speculation. At the end of the season, he refused a one-year extension in order to move toQatar.[22]
Following Bolton's relegation from the Premier League in 2012, Okocha stated that his spell at the club was now rendered a waste of time, because the club had not invested and improved on the foundations that were laid during his time there.[23]
In 2017, Okocha was voted the best player to have ever played for Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.[24]
After just one season in Qatar,Football League Championship sideHull City signed Okocha on a free transfer in 2007, after the player had been linked toReal Salt Lake andSydney FC. It was a move he made saying that "God had told him to do so".[25] He was however unable to contribute greatly to Hull's promotion campaign due to fitness and constant injury problems, playing only 18 games and scoring no goals. Hull still succeeded in winning promotion to thePremier League for the first time in their 104-year history. At the end of the season, after changing his mind on a proposed retirement due to Hull's promotion, he was released by the club, which ultimately sent him into retirement.[26]
In 2012 he came out of retirement and signed withBengal Premier League Soccer team Durgapur Vox Champions. However, the season was postponed and the league itself folded in 2013 before him making any appearance for the team.[27][28]
Okocha made his official debut forNigeria in their 2–11994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss againstIvory Coast in May 1993. It was not until his second cap and home debut that he became a favourite with the Nigerian supporters. With Nigeria trailing 1–0 againstAlgeria, in a match they needed to win, he scored from a direct free kick to equalise, before helping the team to a 4–1 win, eventually securing qualification to their first World Cup. In 1994, he was a member of both the victorious1994 African Cup of Nations squad[29] and the World Cup squad who made it to the second round before losing a dramatic match against eventual runners-upItaly.[30][31]
In 1996, Okocha became a key member of an arguably more successful Nigerian side, theirOlympic gold winning side at theAtlanta Games, later nicknamed the "Dream Team" by the Nigerian press after the USA1992 Olympics gold winning basketball team, as they overcameBrazil in the semi-finals, before coming back from 2–0 down to 3–2 up againstArgentina in the final. At the1998 FIFA World Cup, Okocha played for a disappointing Super Eagles side who failed to live up to expectations, again reaching the round of 16, albeit with less impressive performances save for their 3–2 opening win againstSpain. This did not destroy interest in Okocha, who had entertained fans with his trademark skills and dribbles and went on to be named in the squad of the tournament.[32][33]
Okocha again joined the Super Eagles in the2000 African Cup of Nations, which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana. He scored three goals in the tournament, two in the opening game againstTunisia, and was given a standing ovation by the nearly 60,000 in attendance when he left the field.[33] The Super Eagles then went all the way to the final againstCameroon, with Okocha captaining his side and scoring the equaliser to tie the game 2–2 before losing in the penalty shootout at the end of extra time. He then captained the Super Eagles to the following2002,2004 and2006, consecutively finishing all three tournaments in third place.
He made a return to the Super Eagles for a testimonial against an African select side inWarri. The game featured former playersDaniel Amokachi,Alloysius Agu,John Fashanu,Benjani andSulley Muntari. Nigeria won the match 2–1 with Okocha scoring the winning goal after appearing for the side in the second half.[34] In March 2004, he was named one of thetop 125 living footballers byPelé.[35]
A quick, talented, agile, and skilfulplaymaker, Okocha usually played as an attacking midfielder, and is widely considered by pundits internationally as the best Nigerian footballer ever, and as one of the best African players of all time.[36][37][38][39][40] Okocha was known for his confidence and clever trickery with the ball, technique, creativity, flair, close control, and smoothdribbling skills, as well as his turn of pace and his use offeints, in particular his version of thestepover (nicknamed the Okocha stepover) and his trademark turns.[38][41][42][43] In 2012, Allan Jiang ofBleacher Report rated Okocha as one of the greatest dribblers of all time.[44] Due to his range of passing, Okocha was capable of creating chances for teammates; he was also known for his ability to produce longthrow-ins.[45] While not being particularly prolific or consistent in his finishing or goalscoring,[45][46][47] Okocha, possessed a powerful shot from long range and was an effectivefree-kick taker, which saw him score some spectacular and ingenious goals through his career.[39][48][49][45][50] Due to his skill and nickname, he was described as being 'so good that they named him twice' (a line immortalised in a terrace chant while Okocha played for Bolton Wanderers).[51] He is still remembered byFenerbahçe fans as one of the legends of the club and the Turkish football league.[52] In addition to being an inspiration for many other African footballers, such asAsamoah Gyan,[53] Okocha also was a major influence on the playing style of several other footballers across the globe, including German playmakerMesut Özil,[52] as well Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho, whom Okocha played alongside during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain.[39] Okocha became known as the "AfricanMaradona" in the media, due to his skill and decisive performances for his country.[45][54] Despite his ability, however, he was also known for being inconsistent, and for his lack of tactical discipline on the pitch.[39][40][54][55]
In late 2014 Okocha was added to theFIFA football game series as a "Legend" which honours his years as a great footballer.[56]
Okocha was elected as the Chair of the Delta State Football Association on 21 February 2015.[57] In April 2015, he expressed his interest in becoming the president of theNigeria Football Federation.[58]
On 15 May 2016, Okocha played in a charity match as part of "TeamJohn McGinlay" against "TeamTony Kelly" at theMacron Stadium and scored a hat-trick in his team's 6–2 win.[59]
In June 2019, it was reported that Okocha had been charged with alleged money laundering in Scotland.[60][61]
Okocha has served as a football pundit for African sports broadcaster, Supersports since 2019, providing analysis for major tournaments, including the African Cup of Nations and the European championships.[62][63]
On 14 November 2021, Okocha played in a charity match as part of a team ofBolton Wanderers Legends against the current Bolton first team, with the match helping to raise money for the mother of Bolton playerGethin Jones, after she was diagnosed withmotor neuron disease. The Bolton first team won 7–4, with Okocha scoring a penalty for the Legends team.[64]
In an interview he told why he never played for big clubs likeReal Madrid CF was because of wage issues and racism. He also told them that the money they offer him was like he was doing them a favor.[65]
Okocha is from Ogwashi Ukwu inAnioma local government of Delta State, a sub-group of theIgbo people.[66] His older brotherEmmanuel is also a former footballer who played for the Nigerian national team. He has a nephew,Alex Iwobi, who plays for Fulham and Nigeria.[67]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 1992–93[68] | Bundesliga | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 3[a] | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
| 1993–94[68] | Bundesliga | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 4[a] | 2 | 25 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95[68] | Bundesliga | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | – | 7[a] | 0 | 36 | 7 | ||
| 1995–96[68] | Bundesliga | 24 | 7 | 1 | 1 | – | 4[b] | 3 | 29 | 11 | ||
| Total | 90 | 18 | 8 | 2 | – | 18 | 5 | 116 | 25 | |||
| Fenerbahçe | 1996–97[68] | 1.Lig | 33 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1[c] | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | 45 | 18 |
| 1997–98[68] | 1.Lig | 29 | 14 | 0 | 0 | – | 2[a] | 0 | 31 | 14 | ||
| Total | 62 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 76 | 32 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1998–99[68] | French Division 1 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[e] | 1 | 29 | 5 |
| 1999–2000[68] | French Division 1 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 26 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01[68] | French Division 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[d] | 1 | 24 | 3 | |
| 2001–02[68] | French Division 1 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9[f] | 5 | 33 | 10 | |
| Total | 84 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 112 | 20 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2002–03[69] | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 | 7 | |
| 2003–04[69] | Premier League | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | – | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2004–05[69] | Premier League | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 33 | 7 | ||
| 2005–06[69] | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[a] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| Total | 124 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 142 | 18 | ||
| Hull City | 2007–08[68] | Championship | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | |
| Career total | 402 | 80 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 5 | 52 | 13 | 489 | 101 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria[70] | 1993 | 3 | 1 |
| 1994 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2001 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 73 | 14 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 July 1993 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Algeria | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1994 World Cup qualifier |
| 2 | 11 June 1995 | Boston, United States |  United States | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1995 US Cup |
| 3 | 23 January 2000 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Tunisia | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2000 African Cup of Nations |
| 4 | 2–1 | |||||
| 5 | 13 February 2000 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Cameroon | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2000 African Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 17 June 2000 | Lagos, Nigeria |  Sierra Leone | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2002 World Cup qualifier |
| 7 | 1 July 2001 | Omdurman, Sudan |  Sudan | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2002 World Cup qualifier |
| 8 | 26 March 2002 | London, England |  Paraguay | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 26 July 2003 | Watford, England |  Venezuela | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 31 January 2004 | Monastir, Tunisia |  South Africa | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2004 African Cup of Nations |
| 11 | 8 February 2004 | Monastir, Tunisia | Cameroon | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations |
| 12 | 11 February 2004 | Tunis, Tunisia | Tunisia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations |
| 13 | 13 February 2004 | Monastir, Tunisia |  Mali | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2004 African Cup of Nations |
| 14 | 18 June 2005 | Kano, Nigeria |  Angola | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2006 World Cup qualifier |
Paris Saint-Germain[17]
Bolton Wanderers[72]
Hull City[26]
Nigeria U23[33]
Nigeria[29]
Individual
Two of the Super Eagles' top international stars,Arsenal starNwankwo Kanu and Paris St Germain's Augustine 'Jay-Jay' Okocha are Ibo.
Nigeria squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
