Did You Know: 6 Shocking Facts About Jay Jay Okocha

Former Super Eagles skipper and Nigerian legend, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, is arguable one of the greatest football players of all time. Having proved his skills home and abroad, the two-time BBC African Footballer of the Year can be remembered for his great dribble and crossing skills that set him leagues apart from other players whenever he was on the pitch. The 44 year old’s popularity in Nigeria goes without saying.

Here are a few things you may not know about the seasoned former midfielder:

Okocha started his professional football career with Enugu Rangers in 1990. His European campaign began when he accompanied a friend, Binebi Numa, to training in Borussia Neunkirchen, a Division 2 club in Germany. As an outsider, he requested to join the team during training, after which the coach offered him a contract. He made his debut appearance for the Super Eagles at the 1993 World Cup qualifiers match against Cote d’ Ivoire. He never won the African Player of the Year award, despite being one of Africa’s best for many years (he came second on two occasions). He is the only Nigerian on Pele’s FIFA 100 greatest living footballers. Okocha’s goal (below), according to the official Bundesliga Youtube page, is the best ever goal scored in the history of the German football league.