Betting company 1xBet tells the story of one of the most technical players in football history.
On August 14, our hero turns 50 and is now a living legend. Okocha is a role model for many boys – a dribbler creating masterpieces on the pitch. He was Messi before Messi, despite not being so stable. Okocha’s game delights even those who’s never seen him live but watched cuts on YouTube.
Jay-Jay moved to Europe as a teenager. In 1990, his friend suggested going to a local club. 17-year-old Okocha agreed, and the Borussia coaches from Neunkirchen offered to return the next day.
The young talent’s rise began. Okocha became a modest first-team regular in early 1991 and then moved to Eintracht Frankfurt. A few months later, his feints and technique caused panic in the Bundesliga defenders and goalkeeper – Jurgen Klopp called his goal against Bayern the most spectacular in German football history.
How Jay-Jay Okocha played
Soon he was invited to the Nigerian national team. At the 1994 World Championship, Jay-Jay helped the Super Eagles take first place in their group and outrun the Bulgarians. Nigeria nearly won the ⅛ final, but the Italian Roberto Baggio first equalized and then scored the decisive goal in overtime.
Okocha was a Bundesliga star – in 1995 and 1996, he was nominated for the Golden Ball. In 1996, Jay-Jay helped Nigeria become the first African team to win the Olympics. In the semi-finals, the Super Eagles defeated Brazil with Ronaldo and Argentina with Hernan Crespo in the final.
Then the midfielder moved to Fenerbahce and scored more than 30 goals in 2 seasons. 1998 Okocha brought Nigeria to the World Cup playoffs and became the tournament’s symbolic team. That summer, he signed with PSG.
The 1xBet official partner, the Parisian club successfully staked on the Nigerian. Okocha wasn’t the France champion, but his game impressed even the opponents’ fans. The player did everything – feints, passes, and unimaginable goals. Ronaldinho said he learned a lot from Jay-Jay.
After four glorious seasons at PSG and a third World Cup, Okocha received an offer from Bolton that relied on attacking players. Okocha played with Yuri Djorkaeff, El Hadji Diouf, and Hidetoshi Nakata but always remained the main team star. Led by Okocha, Bolton finished three times in the Premier League top 10. Fans sang Okocha was “so good that they named him twice”, and the BBC named him African Player of the Year twice.
Jay-Jay hung up his boots after playing in the Championship and Qatar but didn’t say goodbye to football. Over the past 15 years, he visited the head of the Nigerian Delta State Football Federation, worked on television, and he regularly participated in shows and meets with fans.
Jay-Jay Okocha is a football holiday for which stadiums fill up, and this game was made.
Happy birthday, Legend! 1xBet wishes you long years, health, and the joy you generously gave to others.
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