Biography
Augustine Azuka Okocha (born 14 August 1973), known professionally as Jay-Jay Okocha, is one of Nigeria’s greatest ever footballers. The attacking midfielder played 73 times for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, impressing and entertaining with his unparalleled range of skills.
The great man finally retired in 2006, after more than two decades wearing the famous green and white jersey of Nigeria. Jay-Jay Okocha is revered as one of the most naturally gifted footballers to ever play the game.
His talent took him to some of Europe’s top clubs including Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce and Paris St. Germain, while he also captained English club Bolton Wanderers towards the end of his illustrious career.
Nigerian Football Player
Jay Jay Okocha |
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 Jay-Jay Okocha: History • Biography • Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Full name: | Augustine Azuka Okocha |
| Stage name: | Jay Jay Okocha |
| Born: | August 14, 1973 (age 51) |
| Place of birth: | Enugu, Nigeria |
| State of origin: | Delta State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | 1.75 minutes |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Azuka Okocha |
| Siblings: | Zara Okocha, Emmanuel Okocha, Renee Okocha |
| Wife • Husband/wife: | Nkechi Okocha (married 1997) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | Do not have |
| The children: | Ajay Okocha and Daniella Okocha |
| Job: | Football player |
| Net worth: | 15 million US dollars |
Early life
Jay-Jay Okocha is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Azuka Okocha, born on August 14, 1973. He was born in Enugu State, Nigeria but originally hails from Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria.
He has three siblings: Emmanuel Okocha, Renee Okocha and Zara Okocha. Jay-Jay Okocha found his love for football at an early age. He was encouraged to play football as a career 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 football career in Nigeria, specifically with Enugu Rangers in Enugu State. With the incredible talent he possesses, it won’t be long before he is snapped up by a European club.
His European football career began modestly, joining Borussia Neunkirchen – then a third-tier side in Germany – but he would soon leave for Frankfurt, where he would really make 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 the Istanbul giants from 1996 to 1998, after which he secured a big-money move 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 wasn’t the most fashionable club Jay-Jay Okocha played for, he arguably made his biggest impact at the English club. He transformed the club from Premier League underdogs into a consistent top-flight 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 club career.
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 World Cup qualifying loss to Ivory Coast.
It didn’t take him long to make his first major contribution in an Eagles shirt, scoring on his second appearance as Nigeria came back from behind to beat Algeria 4-1 in another crucial World Cup qualifier.
Jay-Jay Okocha was a key player for 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.
Target
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 productive spell 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 were direct free-kicks, which has become something of a trademark for the midfield genius.
He scored 18 goals in 90 games for Frankfurt; 12 goals in 84 games for PSG; and 14 goals in 124 games for Bolton Wanderers.
For the Super Eagles, Jay-Jay Okocha scored 14 goals in 73 appearances.
Great honor
Surprisingly, Jay-Jay Okocha has not won 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 international level, his greatest achievement with Nigeria is probably the U23 Gold Medal in Atlanta, and he was also a member of the 1994 AFCON winning team.
For a player of his ability, his trophy cabinet is quite modest. He has not won any major European titles, with his most notable being the Trophee des Champions in France and the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001.
The Testimonial
Jay-Jay Okocha may have long since retired, but he is still in demand 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, the one he collaborates 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 together: Ajay Okocha and Daniella Okocha.
Net worth
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
Jay-Jay Okocha’s Best Songs – Video
Credit: YouTube || FOOT BALLISTA – Jay Jay Okocha is the craziest skill ever
