Jeremiah Ajayi
It’s Man Crush Monday again! Today our spotlight is on Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Nigerian Legendary Footballer and Entrepreneur. Augustine Azuka Okocha, better known by the name Jay-Jay Okocha, was born on August 14, 1973, in Nigeria.
He played attacking midfield. Between 1993 and 2006, he participated in 73 matches for the Nigerian national team, scoring 14 goals in the process. He was also a part of three FIFA World Cup teams. He is regarded as one of Africa’s all-time best football players.
He began his football career with Enugu Rangers in the Nigerian Professional Football League before transferring to Borussia Neunkirchen in the German third division, Oberliga Südwest, in July 1990. Prior to his retirement in 2008, he would compete in the Bundesliga, Turkish Süper Lig, French Ligue 1, English Premier League, EFL Championship, and Qatar Stars League.
(Anthony) Azuka “Jay-Jay” Okocha was born in Enugu State. In Nigeria’s Osun State’s Iwo local government, his parents resided. The nickname Jay-Jay was given to him by his older brother James, who was the first to start playing football; Okocha’s younger brother Emmanuel also went by the nickname Emma Jay-Jay, but the name remained with him. Like many other football heroes, he started playing the game on the streets, generally with a homemade ball.
Okocha, a playmaker who was quick, talented, and skillful, typically played as an attacking midfielder. He is widely regarded by some foreign experts as the greatest Nigerian footballer of all time and as one of the greatest African players of all time. He continues to be regarded as a club and national legend by Fenerbahçe supporters. Okocha was renowned for his dribbling ability, close control, confidence with the ball, technique, originality, flair, turn of speed, and use of feints, especially the step over and his signature spins.
With companies like Bajaj Autos, Kwik Delivery, Xiaomi, Bullet Energy Drink, New Age Charger, and Bet King, Okocha is a well-known and respectable entrepreneur. He receives remuneration as these companies’ ambassador.
Okocha was honored for his years as a brilliant football player by being added as a “Legend” to the FIFA football game series in late 2014. Okocha was chosen to lead the Delta State Football Association on February 21, 2015. Okocha declared his interest in leading the Nigeria Football Federation in April 2015. On May 15, 2016, Okocha participated in a charity game at the Macron Stadium as a member of “Team John McGinlay” versus “Team Tony Kelly,” scoring three goals in his team’s 6-2 victory.
Since 2019, Okocha has provided analysis for important competitions including the African Cup of Nations and the European championships while working as a football pundit for the African sports network, Supersports.
Okocha participated in a charity game on November 14, 2021, as a member of a squad of former Bolton Wanderers players versus the current Bolton first team. The goal of the game was to collect money for Gethin Jones, a Bolton player who had been diagnosed with motor neuron disease, and his mother. Okocha scored a penalty for the Legends side in a 7-4 victory for the Bolton first team.
Okocha is from the Anioma people, an Igbo subgroup. His older brother Emmanuel was a former professional footballer who represented Nigeria. Alex Iwobi, his nephew, is a Nigerian and Everton player.
