- Austin Jay-Jay Okocha is wide regarded arsenic the astir talented footballer to travel retired of the African continent
- Okocha, contempt his talents ne'er won the large awards including the prestigious African Footballer of the Year
- A erstwhile Senegalese planetary has explained wherefore JJ ne'er won the awards particularly the Ballon d'Or
Austin Jay-Jay Okocha is 1 of the top and astir talented footballers to look retired of Africa, but ne'er captured the large awards that his vocation and talents deserved.
Okocha began his vocation with Enugu Rangers successful the Nigerian league earlier moving to Germany, wherever helium played for Borussia Neunkirchen and Eintracht Frankfurt.

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He had a two-year stint with Turkish Super League giants Fenerbahce, during which helium acquired Turkish citizenship and adopted the sanction Muhammed Yavuz.
He besides played for Paris Saint-Germain for 4 years and it was the past apical nine helium played for. From determination helium played for Bolton Wanderers, Qatar SC and Hull City earlier retiring.
On the planetary stage, helium won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and the Atlanta 1996 Olympics golden medal with the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Beye explains wherefore Okocha didn't triumph Ballon d'Or
The Nigerian football legend, contempt his dazzling show and talents, did not play for the apical clubs, nor did helium triumph immoderate apical award, including the coveted African Footballer of the Year.
He was nominated for the Ballon d'Or successful 1995, but did not person immoderate vote. Former Senegal prima Habib Beye, during an interrogation successful 2022 claimed helium was talented capable to win, but did not due to the fact that helium did not play for the apical clubs.
"Okocha is 1 of the large players who could not play successful large clubs. Ronaldinho could person had 2 to 4 golden balloons. Jay Jay Okocha is specified a endowment and could person been too,” Beye told Canal positive arsenic quoted by Afrique Sports.Okocha speaks astir 1998 CAF Awards
Okocha was nominated for the African Best Award 3 times, finishing 2nd successful 1998 and 2004 and 3rd successful 2004.
The 1998 nonaccomplishment to Morocco's Mustapha Hadji was arguable aft Okocha had superb performances astatine the 1998 FIFA World Cup successful France.

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In a caller interview, helium admitted that helium did capable to person won it astatine immoderate constituent successful his career.
“I mean astatine immoderate point, I thought I did capable to person won it, you cognize but I mean astatine the extremity of the day, I person to instrumentality it and accidental possibly that’s life, you cognize you can’t person it all,” helium told Oma Sports TV.“Maybe it wasn’t meant to beryllium but of course, I thought that I deserved astatine slightest connected 1 juncture to person won it.”Okocha highlights his biggest regret
Legit.ng antecedently reported Okocha named the biggest regret of his career adjacent though helium admitted that helium had a decent vocation and would beryllium greedy to person asked for more.
However, helium believes h regret not winning the African Footballer of the Year Award, due to the fact that helium looked backmost astatine immoderate points wherever helium could person done better.
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Source: Legit.ng