Guest Feature
Jay-Jay Okocha will be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever kick a football in Africa, while his immense skill will take a long time to fade in the memory of football lovers.
His dribbling styles and technique made him the toast of fans, and his supreme confidence on the ball endeared him to many across the world.
Back in 1990, Okocha had gone on holiday to Germany to visit a friend, who played in the Bundesliga 3, but after accompanying his pal to training, managed to catch the head coach’s attention with his skill.
He was duly signed.
Eighteen months later, he was already in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The highlight of his stay in Germany was the wonder goal he scored in 1993, as the midfield maestro dribbled past the whole of Karlsruhe defence and even beat some defenders twice, before slotting the ball past Oliver Kahn.
The great keeper confessed last year that he was yet to truly recover from the goal, and paid tribute to Okocha on his Twitter handle. "
Exactly 23 years ago today is the sensational goal from Okocha and I'm still dizzy," Kahn tweeted.
The effort was voted Bundesliga Goal of The Year.
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Honours & Achievements
Okocha was part of Nigerian team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 94, and also showcased his skill at the World Cup later that year, especially against Italy.
He played key role as Nigeria won Africa's first Olympic gold at Atlanta 96, and, in a Caf vote in 2007, was voted as the 12th best African player of the last 50 years.
In 2004, he made Pele’s list of 125 living legends of the sort, one of only four African players—alongside Abedi Pele, George Weah and Roger Milla—to make the cut.
While the other three won Caf’s African Footballer of the Year award during their careers, Okocha never clinched the continent’s finest individual prize.
Fans disagreed with Caf and voted him BBC African Footballer of The Year in 2003 and 2004.
He became first player to win the award twice, and is among the few African winners of the Premier League Player of The Month Award, having clinched the award in November 2003.
He was also Bolton Wanderers Player of The Season in the 2003-04 season, one of several years in which he appeared to have a shot at the Caf prize.
The 46-year-old displayed his football magic at the 2004 Nations Cup, winning both Best Player and Golden Boot awards, yet was overlooked for the APOTY award again.
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What they said
There was no doubt that, among his peers, Okocha was viewed among the very best players of his age.
Brazil legend Ronaldinho is a big fan of Okocha, with the two having played alongside each other at Paris Saint-Germain.
"The only number 10 shirts I have always admired are Okocha and [Carlos] Valderrama," Ronaldinho once told journalists, in a glowing tribute.
Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter also paid tribute to his amazing skill during the 2000 Nations Cup, saying that football needed more players like the attacking midfielder to bring fans back into the stadium.
George Weah also acknowledged that Okocha was a better player than him, and more technically proficient than Abedi Pele.
"Abedi is a strong player,” Weah once told journalists. “He's a creative player, but Okocha is more skilful.
“Even [than] me, Okocha has more technique than me. All the things that Okocha does on the field, we don't even do one percent of it."
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Why did Okocha never win Caf’s prize?
Despite his outrageous skill, Okocha was never crowned African Player of the Year.
He arguably should have won it in 1998, but he lost out to Morocco's Mustapha Hadji by 74 points to 76.
Many expected him to step into the shoes of Victor Ikpeba, as he was Africa's best performer at France 98, where he sublime skill dazzled many and he was the only African named in the Fifa All-Stars XI.
Hadji may have scored a stunning goal at the tournament, but he was not honoured in the Fifa select.
The Moroccan may have impressed at the ’98 Afcon—where Okocha was absent—but after starring for Fenerbahce and earning a big-move move to PSG that summer, the playmaker would have been a fine bed for the APOTY gong.
Nevertheless, according to former Caf Secretary General Moustapha Fahmy, "Hadji might have won because Okocha missed Burkina Faso 98,” and history has recorded that the North African was the continent’s finest in that calendar year.
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Which other legends missed out?
Okocha is not alone in the category of African greats who never won Caf’s Player of the Year award.
African Legends Cup of Nations qualifier Hossam Hassan is an Afcon veteran, having won two titles across three appearances at the tournament.
Egypt’s record goalscorer is one of Africa’s finest players, but never won the Caf prize.
Similarly, Sammy Kuffour won every available trophy with Bayern Munich in 2001, but missed out to El Hadji Diouf, and Asamoah Gyan’s performances at the 2010 World Cup weren’t enough to secure him the award either.
Other great players who missed the award include John Obi Mikel, Seydou Keita and Mohamed Aboutrika, although few have as strong a case as Okocha.