Jay-Jay Okocha

Street football in Enugu

Augustine Azuka Okocha was born in Enugu on 14 August 1973; his family comes from Ogwashi-Ukwu in Delta State. The name “Jay-Jay” came from his elder brother James. He learned the game in the streets of Enugu with “any round thing” he could find, and joined Enugu Rangers in 1990. His older brother Emmanuel also played for Nigeria, and his nephew is Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi.

His European career began by chance. On holiday in West Germany in 1990 he joined a friend at training with Borussia Neunkirchen, and the coach offered him a contract.

Club career

The goal against Oliver Kahn

In August 1993, playing for Frankfurt against Karlsruhe, Okocha dribbled around goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and his defenders again and again before scoring. It was voted Germany’s Goal of the Year, and Jürgen Klopp later called it the greatest goal in Bundesliga history.

For Nigeria

Okocha won 73 caps and scored 14 goals between 1993 and 2006. He won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, played at three World Cups and won Olympic gold in 1996. At the 1998 World Cup he was named in the team of the tournament, and in 2026 FIFA belatedly gave him the Player of the Match award for Nigeria’s famous 3-2 win over Spain. As captain he led Nigeria to bronze at AFCON 2002, 2004 and 2006, and he was the best player of AFCON 2004.

After football

Okocha was elected chairman of the Delta State Football Association in 2015 and has worked as a television pundit since 2019. Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living players in 2004.