Jay Jay Okocha: Nigerian Legend Finally Speaks on Failure to Win CAF Player of the Year Award

• Nigerians still cannot phantom how Jay Jay Okocha failed to win the CAF Player of the Year Award during his playing days
• The former Super Eagles captain came closest to the prize in 1998 but was edged by Morocco’s Mustapha Hadji
• Okocha has, however, suggested that his choice of clubs could have prevented him from winning the prize

Former Nigerian international Jay Jay Okocha disclosed that he would have loved to win the prestigious CAF Player of the Year Award before he retired.

The midfield maestro was voted runner-up in 1998 and then finished third twice in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

The former Paris Saint-Germain star suggested that the clubs he represented during his playing days could have prevented him from claiming the gong.

Okocha was a member of Nigeria’s golden generation of footballers alongside Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba and a host of others.

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He has admitted that he chose to join clubs that offered him better wages than bigger clubs with less mouthwatering deals.

Okocha said in an interview with Arise TV via Soccernet:

“Maybe I was in the wrong club at that time. It is one award I would have loved to win; it was not easy for an African player to play for top clubs because they don’t pay high wages. When they offer you a contract, the money is small because they see it as doing you a favour.

“That is why I went for clubs that are ready to pay me higher; I go for the higher bidder. I had to turn down some offers from big clubs because of wage issues. But things have changed now, as Africans and Nigerians get bigger football contracts overseas.”

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Okocha says he’s worth €150m today

Sports Brief earlier reported that Jay Jay suggested that he would be worth around €150million in the transfer market today.

In 1996, the incredible master-dribbler moved from German club Eintracht Frankfurt to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce for a fee of around £1m after the German outfits were relegated from topflight football.

Okocha became a household name following his impressive performances with the Turkish club and after the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, the midfielder was snapped up by French club Paris Saint-Germain.