Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka Okocha (/əˈkɒtʃə/ ə-KOTCH-ə; born 14 August 1973),[3] commonly known as Jay-Jay Okocha, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He won 73 caps for the Nigeria national team between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players from Africa.[4]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Augustine Azuka Okocha[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | [2] | 14 August 1973||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | 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
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
He played across multiple leagues, starting his career at Enugu Rangers in the Nigerian Professional Football League before moving to Borussia Neunkirchen in the Oberliga Südwest, Germany's third division, in July 1990. He would play in the Bundesliga, Süper Lig, Ligue 1, Premier League, EFL Championship, and Qatar Stars League before his retirement in 2008.
Club career
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha was born in Enugu, Enugu State.[2] His parents lived in Iwo local Government, Osun State, Nigeria. 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 Okocha instead. He began playing football on the streets just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball.
In an interview with BBC 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 joined Enugu 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 goalkeeper Willy Okpara in a match against BCC Lions. Later that year, he went on holiday to West Germany, the country that had just won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, so he could watch German league football.[5] His friend Binebi Numa was playing in the Third Division for Borussia 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 joined 1. FC Saarbrücken, but stayed only a few months with the 2. Bundesliga side before a move to the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt.[7]
Eintracht Frankfurt
Okocha joined Eintracht Frankfurt in December 1991, 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 Karlsruher SC, dribbling in the penalty box, even going past some players twice, and slotting the ball past goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.[8] The goal was voted Goal of the Season by many football magazines, and also voted as 1993 Goal of the Year by viewers of Sportschau (an ARD German TV sports programme).[9] 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.[10]
Yeboah and Gaudino later left for England, while Okocha stayed until the end of the season when Frankfurt were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga, before signing for Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe. In the Bundesliga he scored 18 goals in 90 matches.[11]
Fenerbahçe
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 name Muhammed Yavuz while playing.[13][14]
Paris Saint-Germain
In 1998, French side Paris 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 future Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldinho during his time in Paris.[15]
In the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup Okocha would go on to score 5 goals and help them win it along Aston Villa F.C. and ES Troyes AC.
Bolton Wanderers
On 18 June Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer after leaving PSG in the summer of 2002 following the FIFA World Cup.[16] 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 against West Ham United.[17] This was also chosen as Bolton's best ever Premier League goal by a fan vote in 2008.[18] The next season saw Okocha receive more responsibility as he was given the captain's armband following Guðni Bergsson's retirement. As captain he led Bolton to the 2004 Football League Cup final, their first cup final in nine years, where they finished runners-up to Middlesbrough.[19]
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 to Qatar.[20]
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.[21]
In 2017, Okocha was voted the best player to have ever played for Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.[22]
Hull City
After just one season in Qatar, 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. It was a move he made saying that "God had told him to do so".[23] 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 the Premier 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.[24]
In 2012 he came out of retirement and signed with Bengal Premier League Soccer team Durgapur Vox Champions however the season was postponed and league itself folded in 2013 before him making any appearance for the team.[25] [26]
International career
Okocha made his official debut for Nigeria in their 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss against Ivory 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 against Algeria, 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 victorious 1994 African Cup of Nations squad [27][28] and the World Cup squad who made it to the second round before losing a dramatic match against eventual runners-up Italy.
In 1996, Okocha became a key member of an arguably more successful Nigerian side, their Olympic gold winning side at the Atlanta Games, later nicknamed the "Dream Team" by the Nigerian press after the USA 1992 Olympics gold winning basketball team, as they overcame Brazil in the semi-finals, before coming back from 2–0 down to 3–2 up against Argentina in the final. At the 1998 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 against Spain. 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.[29][30]
Okocha again joined the Super Eagles in the 2000 African Cup of Nations, which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana. He scored three goals in the tournament, two in the opening game against Tunisia, and was given a standing ovation by the nearly 60,000 in attendance when he left the field.[30] The Super Eagles then went all the way to the final against Cameroon, 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 following 2002, 2004 and 2006, consecutively finishing all three tournaments in third place.
He made a return to the Super Eagles for a testimonial against an African select side in Warri. The game featured former players Daniel Amokachi, Alloysius Agu, John Fashanu, Benjani and Sulley Muntari. Nigeria won the match 2–1 with Okocha scoring the winning goal after appearing for the side in the second half.[31] In March 2004, he was named one of the top 125 living footballers by Pelé.[32]
Style of play
A quick, talented, and skilful playmaker, 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.[33][34][35] He is still remembered by Fenerbahçe fans as one of the legends of the club and country. Okocha was known for his confidence and trickery with the ball, technique, creativity, flair, close control, and dribbling skills, as well as his turn of pace and his use of feints, in particular his version of the stepover (nicknamed the Okocha stepover) and his trademark turns.[35][36][37][38] 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).[39] Despite his ability, however, he was also known for being inconsistent.[40]
Post-playing career
In late 2014 Okocha was added to the FIFA football game series as a "Legend" which honours his years as a great footballer.[41]
Okocha was elected as the Chair of the Delta State Football Association on 21 February 2015.[42] In April 2015, he expressed his interest in becoming the president of the Nigeria Football Federation.[43]
On 15 May 2016, Okocha played in a charity match as part of "Team John McGinlay" against "Team Tony Kelly" at the Macron Stadium and scored a hat-trick in his team's 6–2 win.[44]
In June 2019, it was reported that Okocha had been charged with alleged money laundering in Scotland.[45][46]
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.[47][48]
On 14 November 2021, Okocha played in a charity match as part of a team of Bolton Wanderers Legends against the current Bolton first team, with the match helping to raise money for the mother of Bolton player Gethin Jones, after she was diagnosed with motor neuron disease. The Bolton first team won 7–4, with Okocha scoring a penalty for the Legends team.[49]
In an interview he told why he never played for big clubs like Real 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.[50]
Personal life
Okocha is a member of the Anioma community, a sub-group of the Igbo people.[51] His older brother Emmanuel is also a former footballer who played for the Nigerian national team. He has a nephew, Alex Iwobi, who plays for Fulham and Nigeria.[52]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Eintracht Frankfurt | 1992–93[53] | Bundesliga | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
1993–94[53] | Bundesliga | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 2 | 25 | 4 | ||
1994–95[53] | Bundesliga | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | – | 7[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 36 | 7 | ||
1995–96[53] | Bundesliga | 24 | 7 | 1 | 1 | – | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 3 | 29 | 11 | ||
Total | 90 | 18 | 8 | 2 | – | 18 | 5 | 116 | 25 | |||
Fenerbahçe | 1996–97[53] | 1.Lig | 33 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 8[lower-alpha 4] | 1 | 45 | 18 |
1997–98[53] | 1.Lig | 29 | 14 | 0 | 0 | – | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 31 | 14 | ||
Total | 62 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 76 | 32 | ||
Paris Saint-Germain | 1998–99[53] | French Division 1 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 5] | 1 | 29 | 5 |
1999–2000[53] | French Division 1 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 26 | 2 | ||
2000–01[53] | French Division 1 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 4] | 1 | 24 | 3 | |
2001–02[53] | French Division 1 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9[lower-alpha 6] | 5 | 33 | 10 | |
Total | 84 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 112 | 20 | ||
Bolton Wanderers | 2002–03[54] | Premier League | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 | 7 | |
2003–04[54] | Premier League | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | – | 41 | 3 | ||
2004–05[54] | Premier League | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 33 | 7 | ||
2005–06[54] | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
Total | 124 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 142 | 18 | ||
Hull City | 2007–08[53] | Championship | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | |
Career total | 378 | 74 | 19 | 3 | 17 | 5 | 52 | 13 | 465 | 95 |
- Appearances in UEFA Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Appearance in Turkish Super Cup
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- Six appearances and five goals in UEFA Intertoto Cup, three appearances in UEFA Cup
International
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Nigeria[55] | 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 |
- Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Okocha goal.[56]
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 |
Honours
Borussia Neunkirchen
- Saarland Cup: 1989–90, 1991–92
- Oberliga Südwest: 1990–91
Fenerbahçe
- Prime Minister's Cup: 1998
- Atatürk Cup: 1999
Paris Saint-Germain
Bolton Wanderers
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2003–04
Hull City
Nigeria U23
Nigeria
Individual
- Goal of the Year (Germany): 1993[57]
- Nigerian Footballer of the Year: 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005; runner-up: 1996
- African Footballer of the Year runner-up: 1998; third place: 2003, 2004
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (Reserve): 1998[58]
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2003, 2004
- BBC Goal of the Month: April 2003
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 2003[59]
- Africa Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2004
- Africa Cup of Nations Best Player: 2004[60]
- Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year: 2004–05
- IFFHS All-time Africa Men's Dream Team: 2021[61]
See also
References
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- Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream Publishing. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
- "Jay-Jay Okocha: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- "Okocha - How Football world celebrated Bolton and Nigeria legend at 47". goal.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- "IFFHS". www.iffhs.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- Massarella, Louis (September 2004). Sleight, Hugh (ed.). "So good they named him twice". FourFourTwo. Teddington: Haymarket Magazines (121): 72–6. ISSN 1355-0276.
- Blackcoin (7 March 2021). "Okocha helped change football in Germany, says Felix Agu". BSN Sports. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
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- Arnhold, Matthias (13 January 2022). "Augustine Okocha - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". RSSSF.com. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- Olulana, Deji (4 January 2017). "Jay-Jay Okocha". PR2J3C4 - Nigeria @ Her Best. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- Augustin Okocha Profile @ TFF.org
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- "Okocha: Local Players Not 'Ripe' Yet". Thisday Live. 15 May 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- "Okocha joins Bolton". BBC Sport. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- "Desert Island Goals: Jay-Jay Okocha v West Ham". Manny Road. 5 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- "Jay-Jay's triumph in our best goal vote". The Bolton News. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 24 April 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
- Pereira, Bimpe (9 July 2019). "Passion For Football - The Untold 'Jay Jay' Okocha Story". Latest Sports News In Nigeria. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
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- Iles, Marc (25 May 2012). "Jay Jay drops a bombshell". The Bolton News. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
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- 1994 Africa Cup of Nations squads#Nigeria
- 1994 Africa Cup of Nations#Caf Team of Tournament
- Orr, Tamra (2006). Jay-Jay Okocha. MITCHELL LANE. ISBN 1-58415-493-4. OCLC 690752547.
- De Michele, Carmen (8 December 2011), "Okocha, Augustine Azuka", African American Studies Center, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.49698, ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1
- "Okocha, Mikel, Yak, Kanu or Yobo – Who is the best Super Eagles skipper? – Futbal Galore". 26 July 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- "Pele's 125 Greatest Footballers Included Some Seriously Bizarre Choices". sportbible.com. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
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- Dove, Ed (15 May 2020). "African Legends Cup of Nations: Eto'o vs Okocha". www.goal.com. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
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- Holt, Nick (2014). Mammoth Book Of The World Cup. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-1-4721-1051-0. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- Arts, Electronic (12 August 2014). "New Legends Coming to FIFA 15 Ultimate Team". Electronic Arts Inc. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
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- "Okocha wants to be President of NFF - Vanguard News". Vanguard News. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2016/may/report-team-mcginlay-6-2-team-kelly/ BWFC: "Report: Team McGinlay 6-2 Team Kelly"]
- Omilana, Timileyin (1 June 2019). "Okocha arraigned for alleged money laundering in Scotland". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- Eludini, Tunde (3 June 2019). "Jay Jay Okocha charged for alleged money laundering". Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
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- Nlebum, Anthony (27 June 2021). "Okocha, Yobo, Praiz represent Nigeria in SuperSport's UEFA Euro 2020 coverage". Businessday. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- BWFC: "Wanderers 7 All Stars 4"
- Akhilomen, Austin (14 May 2023). "Okocha: I Turned Down Offers From Some Big Clubs Because Of Wage Issues". Complete Sports. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- "Semi-final success unites Nigeria". BBC News. 11 February 2000. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
Two of the Super Eagles' top international stars, Arsenal star Nwankwo Kanu and Paris St Germain's Augustine 'Jay-Jay' Okocha are Ibo.
- Boyland, Patrick (14 January 2021). "Alex Iwobi's key role in Carlo Ancelotti's Everton". The Athletic. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- "Jay-Jay Okocha Stats". FBREF. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
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- "Augustine Okocha – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- "August 1993 - Okocha" (in German). Sportschau. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- "FIFA Technical Study Group designates MasterCard All-Star Team". FIFA.com. 10 July 1998. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- "Jay Jay Okocha: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- "Okocha named best player of tournament". IOL. 14 February 2004. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- "IFFHS". IFFHS. 29 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
External links
- Jay-Jay Okocha at Soccerbase
- Jay-Jay Okocha non official website
- Jay-Jay Okocha at fussballdaten.de (in German)