Jay-Jay Okocha Biography: Age, Goals, Wife, Family, Net Worth, Endorsements, Children, Team, Career, Wikipedia, Videos

Story

Augustine Azuka Okocha (born 14 August 1973), known professionally as Jay-Jay Okocha, is one of Nigeria’s greatest ever football players. The attacking midfielder made 73 appearances for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, impressing and entertaining with his unparalleled skills.

The great man finally retired in 2006, after more than two decades wearing Nigeria’s famous blue and white jersey. Jay-Jay Okocha is revered as one of the most naturally gifted soccer players to ever play soccer.

His talent took him to some of Europe’s top clubs including Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce and Paris St. Germain, and he also captained English side Bolton Wanderers during the latter part of his storied career.

Nigerian football player

Jay-Jay Okocha
Jay-Jay Okocha: History • Biography • Photos
Wiki Facts & About Data
First and last name: Augustine Azuka Okocha
Stage Name: Jay-Jay Okocha
Born: August 14, 1973 (age 50)
Place of birth: Enugu, Nigeria
State of origin: Delta State
Nationality: Nigerian
Height: 1.75 m
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Azuka Okocha
Siblings: Zara Okocha, Emmanuel Okocha, Renee Okocha
Wife • Spouse: Nkechi Okocha (m. 1997)
Girlfriend • Partner: Do not have
Children: Ajay Okocha, Daniella Okocha
Job: Football player
Net asset value: 15 million USD

Early life

Jay-Jay Okocha was born to Mr. and Mrs. Azuka Okocha, on August 14, 1973. He was born in Enugu State, Nigeria but originally from Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State Nigeria.

He has three siblings: Emmanuel Okocha, Renee Okocha and Zara Okocha. Jay-Jay Okocha loved football from an early age. He was keen on playing football as a profession by joining local teams and playing at the grassroots level before being discovered.

Club football career

Like most of his Super Eagles contemporaries, Jay-Jay Okocha started his playing career in Nigeria, precisely with Enugu Rangers in Enugu State. With the incredible talent he possessed, it wasn’t long before he was scouted by a European club.

His European football career began modestly, when he joined Borussia Neunkirchen – then a third-tier side in Germany, but he would soon leave for Frankfurt, where he really made a name for himself in German football. Jay-Jay Okocha spent four years at Frankfurt, from 1992 to 1996, before moving to Fenerbahce in Turkey.

The former Super Eagles captain played for Istanbul giants from 1996 to 1998, after which he secured a big-money transfer to French side Paris St. Germain, following his exploits with the Super Eagles at the 1998 France World Cup. He spent four years in the French Capital before teaming up with Sam Alladyce’s Bolton in 2002.

While Bolton are not the trendiest club Jay-Jay Okocha has played for, he has arguably made his biggest impact at the English side. He transformed the club from Premier League laggards into a consistent top side and led them to their first major final – the 2004 EFL Cup final (lost to Middlesboro).

After four successful seasons at Bolton, Jay-Jay Okocha moved to Qatar and then returned to England with Hull City before ending his career with the club.

International football career

Jay-Jay Okocha played for Nigeria for over 20 years, making his debut in 1993 and retiring in 2006. He first played for the Super Eagles in 1993, in a 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in the qualifying round World Cup.

It didn’t take him long to make his first significant contribution in an Eagles shirt, scoring in his second cap as Nigeria came from behind to beat Algeria 4-1 in another crucial World Cup qualifier.

Jay-Jay Okocha was a key member of the Nigerian football team in the mid-90s – a very successful period for the national team.

With the Eagles, he won the 1994 Nations Cup in Tunisia, performed admirably in their first World Cup appearance in the United States, also in 1994, when they reached the second round, and won the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal (under-23 team).

Jay-Jay Okocha continued to represent the Eagles for the next ten years following their success at the 1996 Olympics, appearing at two more World Cups (France 1998 and Korea/Japan 2002). He also helped Nigeria to a runners-up medal at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, and notably captained the team to third place at the 2004 tournament in Tunisia.

Goal

Jay-Jay Okocha isn’t the most efficient scorer, but that’s understandable given his primary role throughout his career has been to create and assist goals. However, he has achieved some great things from his midfield position.

His most prolific return came at Fenerbahce, where he scored 30 goals in 62 games, a scoring rate that most strikers would be happy with. Quite a few of those goals came from direct free-kicks, which have become a trademark of the midfield genius.

He scored 18 goals in 90 minutes for Frankfurt; 12 in 84 at PSG; and 14 in 124 at Bolton Wanderers.

For the Super Eagles, Jay-Jay Okocha scored 14 goals in 73 appearances.

Great Title

Surprisingly, Jay-Jay Okocha has not received many major individual awards. He has never won African Footballer of the Year, let alone World Player of the Year or the Ballon d’Or.

He won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award in 2003 and 2004, and is a seven-time winner of the Nigerian Footballer of the Year award.

At team level, his greatest achievement with Nigeria is arguably the Under-23 Gold Medal in Atlanta, while he was also a member of the 1994 AFCON winning team.

For a player of his ability, his trophy/awards cabinet is quite modest. He failed to win any major European tournament titles, with the most notable titles being the Trophee des Champions in France and the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001.

Confirm

Jay-Jay Okocha has long since retired, but he is still sought after in the corporate world as many brands seek the services of one of Nigeria’s most iconic footballers.

He is a brand ambassador for a number of brands, of which the brand he cooperates with the most is the betting company Betking.

Thanks in part to its partnership with Jay-Jay Okocha, Betking has become one of the best betting sites in Nigeria.

Jay-Jay Okocha’s illustrious career, charisma and personality make him one of the first names on the list of potential brand ambassadors.

Personal life

Jay-Jay Okocha is happily married to his wife Nkechi Okocha and the couple has two children: Ajay Okocha and Daniella Okocha.

Net asset value

After a series of research, it can be confirmed that Nigerian football icon, Jay-Jay Okocha has amassed an estimated net worth of $15 million.

Social Media

  • Instagram: @official_jj10
  • Twitter: @IAmOkocha
  • YouTube: Jay Jay Okocha

Best Of Jay-Jay Okocha – Video

Credit: YouTube || FOOT BALLISTA – Jay Jay Okocha is the craziest skill ever

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