Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A quick and skilful playmaker, who is widely regarded as the best Nigerian player of his generation and one of the greatest African players of all time, Okocha was known for his confidence, technique, creativity, and dribbling skills, as well as his use of feints, in particular the stepover.
Background
Okocha was born in Enugu, Enugu State. His parents were from Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. The name Jay-Jay was actually 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 Okocha instead. He began playing football on the streets just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball.
Career
Okocha began his career at Enugu Rangers in 1990. In his time at the club he produced many spectacular displays including one where he rounded off and scored a goal, against experienced Nigerian goalkeeper William Okpara in a match against BCC Lions. Later he travelled to Germany to meet a friend, where he was asked to train with his team after impressing in training, and landed a deal with German Third Division side Borussia Neunkirchen.
Okocha joined Eintracht Frankfurt in 1992, where he linked up with many well-known players including Ghanaian international striker Tony Yeboah and later Thomas Doll. He continued to shine for the German side, one highlight being a goal he scored against Karlsruhe, dribbling in the penalty box and slotting the ball past Oliver Kahn even going past some players twice. The goal was voted Goal of the Season by many soccer magazines, and also voted as 1993 Goal of the Year by viewers of Sportschau (an ARD German TV sports program). In 1995, Okocha, Yeboah and Maurizio Gaudino were all involved in a feud with manager Jupp Heynckes, which led to their departure from the club.
Okocha joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe following Eintracht Frankfurt's relegation to Bundesliga 2. In his two seasons with the team he amassed thirty goals in sixty appearances, many of them coming from direct free kicks which had become something of a trademark for him at the club. While at Fenerbahçe, he also became a Turkish citizen as "Muhammet Yavuz."
In 1998, French side PSG splashed around $ 24 million on Okocha, making him the most expensive African player at the time. During his four-year stint with PSG, he played 84 matches and scored 12 goals. He has also served as a mentor, at the time, for young Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho during his time in Paris.
Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer after leaving PSG in the summer of 2002 after the FIFA World Cup. His debut season,up. His debut season, despite being hampered by injury, made him a favorite with the Bolton fans. He steered the team away from relegation with seven goals, including the team Goal of the Season in the vital league win against West Ham United.This was voted Bolton's best Premier League goal in a fans vote in 2008. The next season saw Okocha receive more responsibility as he was given the captain's armband. As captain he led Bolton to their first cup final in nine years where they finished runners-up in the 2004 Football League Cup. Following Bolton's relegation from the Premier League in 2012, Okocha stated that his time at the club was a waste of time, saying the club had not improved since his time there.
Thereafter, Football League Championship side Hull City signed Okocha on a free transfer in 2007, after the player had been linked to Real Salt Lake and Sydney FC. He however was not able to contribute greatly to Hull's promotion campaign due to fitness and constant injury problems, playing only 18 games and scoring no goals. 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 sent him into retirement.
Okocha made his official debut for Nigeria in their 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss against Ivory Coast in May 1993. In 1994, he was a member of both the victorious 1994 African Cup of Nations squad and the World Cup squad who made it to the second round before they lost in a dramatic match against eventual runners-up Italy. In 1996, Okocha became a member of an arguably more successful Nigerian side, their Olympic gold winning side at the Atlanta Games. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup hosted by France, 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 against Spain. Okocha again joined the Super Eagles in the 2000 African Cup of Nations co-hosted with Ghana. He scored three goals in the tournament. After a disappointing Nations Cup in 2002 where Nigeria ended up finishing third, Okocha was named Nigeria captain after Sunday Oliseh and Finidi George were axed from the side. Okocha later led the Nigerian team to a third place finish at the 2004 African Nations Cup in Tunisia, with some breathtaking displays, scoring four goals which include a spectacular free kick against Cameroon in the quarter finals and most notably the 1000th goal in Nations Cup history against South Africa, and winning the Player of the tournament and joint Golden boot winner. After failing to help Nigeria qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Okocha announced that he would retire from international scene after the Cup of Nations in Egypt. Injury prevented Okocha from featuring in any of Nigeria's opening fixtures and he did not regain fitness until the semi final loss against Ivory Coast. He then played in his final international appearance in a 2–1 victory in a third place playoff against Senegal, he was then given a standing ovation by the nearly 60,000 attendance when he left the field.
Okocha's religious devotion extends as far as insisting on a room to himself in every team hotel, so he can pray undisturbed.
'I pray every day and it is easier to do alone in my room than in the dressing room,' he says. 'I'm not insisting my way is the best way or trying to convert anyone else, it's just a personal thing that works for me, and obviously I can't do it if my room-mate is watching Sky Sports on television.'
Politics
He is more involved in football politics. Like Luis Figo, Jay Jay Okocha is into football administration in Nigeria. He is the FA Chairman of Delta STATE Football Association. A member in the board of the Nigerian Football Federation. He is also a member of the Technical committee in charge of appointing coaches.
We are yet to see the back of Okocha as he has a desire of being the President of the Nigerian Football Federation someday.
He was asked if he was thinking of going into coaching someday,Okocha replied, “NO, NOT FOR THE MOMENT. I AM MORE INTERESTED IN THE EXECUTIVE POSITIONS. I PREFER TO BE THE ONE WHO APPOINTS THEM AND TELL THEM WHAT TO DO.”
FIFA.com also asked, “You see yourself as the presidential type, then?” Okocha replied, “WHY NOT? YES. IN FACT, I HAVE BEEN NAMED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DELTA STATE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. AND I AM DELIGHTED ABOUT IT”
Okocha is busier than he was in his playing days as he juggles punditry, football politics, charities and other businesses together. He is indeed, a magician.
Views
Quotations:
"I was aware how close the Aston Villa game was, I spoke to my wife 20 minutes after it finished and she was still nervous. She said it was a good thing I had not watched it. It does not matter now. We are in the final, and playing in any final is a big thing. Now I want to win a medal. It's always great to achieve something."
"He started to get a bit sloppy and I had to work it out. Sometimes we keep things to ourselves, but sometimes you can't do that, and I had to sort that out today."
"I'll stick to my word that the Nations Cup in Egypt is my last tournament and that I am quitting."
Personality
Jay-Jay Okocha holds great compassion and seeks to be of service to others. He is a healer, and capable of giving comfort to those in need - he will frequently offer a shoulder for others to cry on. But actually, Jay's mission in life is to develop the tools that allow him to be truly helpful to others rather than just a sympathetic ear. Jay-Jay Okocha must find the balance between help and interference, and the delicate art of the counselor who knows when to leave the struggle to others and when to avoid taking away the necessary experiences and lessons of life.
It is in Okocha's nature to take on responsibility, to fill the void left by others, and to not turn away from personal sacrifice, albeit at times, he may feel overburdened by the travails of others. However, the love others bestow upon him is his well deserved reward.
Physical Characteristics:
He is 1.73 tall, and has a weight of about 78kg
Okocha never won the African Player of Year award, becoming arguably the best player never to win the award despite coming second twice in 1998. He did however win the inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year and the successive one, becoming the only player to retain the award and win it more than once. In 2004 he was listed in football legend Pelé's FIFA 100 (a list of the greatest 125 living players of all time). In 2007 he was voted number 12 on the greatest African footballers of the past 50 years list, on a poll conducted by CAF to coincide with their 50th anniversary.
1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Nigerian footballer of the year
1996 Nigerian footballer of the year runner up
1998 African Footballer of the Year runner up
1998 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (Reserve)[17]
2003, 2004 BBC African Footballer of the Year
April 2003 Goal of the Month (England)
November 2003 Premier League Player of the Month
2005 Bolton Wanderers footballer of the year
FIFA 100
Okocha never won the African Player of Year award, becoming arguably the best player never to win the award despite coming second twice in 1998. He did however win the inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year and the successive one, becoming the only player to retain the award and win it more than once. In 2004 he was listed in football legend Pelé's FIFA 100 (a list of the greatest 125 living players of all time). In 2007 he was voted number 12 on the greatest African footballers of the past 50 years list, on a poll conducted by CAF to coincide with their 50th anniversary.
1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Nigerian footballer of the year