It feels like just yesterday when fireworks burst into the evening sky, exquisitely decorating the Lusail Stadium scenes as Lionel Messi lifted up the World Cup.
The first of its kind in the Middle East was a colourful football feast reminiscent of when passionate fans gathered on the shores of South Africa for the 2010 edition. Golden memories of the sound of Vuvuzela’s reverberating through the Ellis Park Stadium and the excitement in the inner cities will forever be cherished. Topping my personal list of memorable highlight’s of the 2010 World Cup was meeting one of football’s greatest ever dribblers – Jay Jay Okocha for the first time!
It felt like a dream.
That I would actually see Jay Jay in person in the hallways of the Southern Sun Roof top bar in Hyde Park, Johannesburg was unbelievable! Was I dreaming?! It took me a little while to drink in the fact that he was not on a Television screen. This is actually the living legend, the fabled footballer, the talented dribbler, the playmaker, the free-kick specialist, the magician, the midfield maestro, the myth….
This is Jay Jay Okocha…
My heart rate increased and my head was covered in beads of sweat as I politely asked to get his autograph. He obliged and scribbled his signature on the famous green Jersey I had placed in his line of sight.
Fast forward 12 years later, and the news suddenly broke that Jay Jay’ will be among a stellar line up of experts, analysing the recently concluded World Cup games at the Supersports studio in Johannesburg. As a Sport’s journalist residing in the City of Gold, meeting this National Treasure again was a career defining moment I knew I would never forget.
After a few phone calls with his representatives, I was elated to land the exclusive interview. ‘Jay Jay’s cool, calm & collected yet charismatic character as an analyst on Supersports, ignited my hopes that our pending interaction will be one for the ages. As I revelled in the exciting prospect of probing my childhood hero, it suddenly dawned on me that the highly sought after star may yet still cancel my ‘big moment’ due to his congested work schedule.
The day of the interview had finally arrived.
Non-functioning traffic lights on William Nicol Drive caused unforeseen traffic jams. The ‘apocalyptic’ chaos on the road was as a result of roadworks and nationwide power cuts. Panic started to set in – I was running late to one of the most important interviews of my career!
Fortunately, my smartphone app, Waze navigated me out of the traffic congestion to keep my date with destiny. I arrived at the Sandton Sun 5 minutes beforehand. This gave me just enough time to inform the receptionist, go to the bathroom, gather my thoughts and take a few deep breaths before I met ‘Jay Jay’ again face-to-face. As I patiently waited in the lobby, I couldn’t help but notice the large marble columns and glittering crystals in the beautiful ballroom chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The entrance foyer was adorned with natural lights and unique furniture pieces.
The elevator doors to my left suddenly slid open and here comes ‘Jay Jay,’ in a navy double-breasted blazer on blue chinos and a pair of black leather loafers by Ferragamo. Words refused to form as I walked up to the Super Eagles legend. From reading his facial expressions, he knew he had seen me somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite place where. The old saying, you only get one chance to make a first impression is not always true as this was my second shot!
The 1996 Olympic gold medallist had a kingly air around him as we conversed. Despite retiring from the round leather game as far back as 2008, the former PSG shooter and Ronaldinho’s skilful mentor still keeps possession of a jam-packed diary that allows little time for anything else. ‘Jay Jay’ was on his way to back-to-back meetings so he graciously suggested that we reschedule our interview for the following day. Our mismatched schedules spelt the end of our chat for the time being.
I drove home feeling slightly disappointed.
However, it suddenly dawned on me that this was the universe giving me a chance to do more research on the seven-time Nigerian Footballer of the Year. I stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, watching You tube videos of ‘Jay Jay’ humiliating some of the biggest names in world football. The two time BBC African Footballer of the Year is fondly remembered for that sublime solo goal where he dribbled past four defenders and left Oliver Kahn dazed before smashing the ball in the back of the net. This is arguably the brightest highlight of Okocha’s illustrious career.
He was the heartbeat of the star-studded Super Eagles team that competed at the 1998 World Cup in France. Jay Jays sublime skills were instrumental in Nigeria surprisingly topping their group ahead of Spain, Bulgaria and Paraguay. Even in the teams disgraceful 4-1 fall in the round of 16, one man stood out – and that was ‘Jay Jay’. At this stage of his career, the Fenerbahce ace had the world at his feet.
30 goals in 62 appearances in the Super Lig and his electrifying France 98 performances earned him a lucrative contract with PSG worth £14 million, making him the most expensive African player at the time. Thrust into superstardom at such a young age, I was curious to find out how he handled all the fame, money, and attention. Did Jay Jay’ live a wild lifestyle like other African footballers with a similar ‘rags to riches’ story? Did the pressures of fame become too much for him at any stage of his career? Who is Jay Jay when the spotlight is not on him? These are some of the questions that lingered in my mind as I continued to fine-tune my interview questions.
I woke up the next day with only one mission on my mind – and that was to have a memorable and insightful conversation with Jay Jay. Like the previous day, I arrived at the Sandton Sun just on time. I spotted the man I came to see standing next to one of my favourite TV presenters, Mozez Praiz in the parking lot. On this occasion, Jay Jay was on his way to work at the Supersports studios and profusely apologized for forgetting about his appointment with me. His apology was immediately accepted as he struck me as a sincere person who didn’t mind doing the interview but legitimately had too much on his plate. He assured me that my patience would finally pay off if I came back to the hotel the next day.
The Super Eagles legend rewarded my leap of faith by keeping his word. He waited for me at the hotel reception, wearing a pair of shorts, having just come back from his ‘glorious triumph’ in a game of tennis with Ghanaian striker, Asamoah Gyan. With a cap covering his face, he hoped he would go unrecognized, but it is hard to miss arguably the greatest ever natural talent to grace a football field. He cracked his signature smile as two fans approached us, demanding selfies with their idol. We then hopped on a moving escalator taking us up to a secluded board room at the hotel.
Finally, it was happening!
I started our interview by asking Jay Jay about when he realized that he had ‘magic in his boots’, I was expecting a cliché answer to the question; We have all heard the typical answers; “I just knew it”, “I just felt it”. Interestingly, Jay Jay was willing to open up and share intricate details about his humble beginnings. “I started my love affair with football on the streets of Enugu. That is where It all started for me. I remember running around barefooted as a child, playing with tennis balls, water bottles, anything round that was kickable. We use to make use of old plastic bottles, giant stones and even bamboo sticks to create goal posts. I realized in these times that I was more skilful than the other kids around me and this is around the time that even my parents were starting to notice that I had a special talent,” Jay Jay recalled.
From shining in 5 aside matches on uneven dusty roads with notorious potholes to representing Enugu Rangers in the Nigerian Professional Football League, Jay Jay was on the rise!
From local football to the international stage, he was left with no choice but to overcome homesickness. “Moving from Nigeria to Germany was very difficult. That transition of leaving home to an unknown country was a bigger challenge than the ones that awaited me on the pitch. I was leaving my family and friends behind and I could not even speak the language. I initially struggled to adjust to the cold weather but I quickly realized that this was a big opportunity for me and if I made it, my life would never be the same. This thought alone kept me going. I also wanted my family back home to live under better circumstances,” recollects the former Frankfurt phenomenon.
Branches from Jay Jay’s talented family tree of footballers extends to his son Ajay who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, proving that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Everton’s Alex Iwobi is another member of the clan who has blossomed in Europe. The 2017 FA Cup winner is often unfairly compared to his globally lionized uncle, so I asked Jay Jay to share the advice he gives Alex, having played in the English Premier League for four years with Bolton Wanderers. “Alex is a very good player. I always remind him to never ever forget how good he is. I want him to be his own man, he doesn’t have to play like me. All he needs to do is to work on his weaknesses and showcase his strengths ever so often on the pitch. I advise him all the time to try and be as consistent as possible. It is very important for a player to be consistent”
Jay Jay’s consistency, confidence and creative flair made him one of the most revered players in the Premier League. Bolton’s player of the year in the 2004/2005 season often set the Reebok Stadium ablaze with his trickery, technique and trademark turns. His brilliant partnership with French World Cup winner, Youri Djorkaeff kept the Trotters out of scrappy relegation battles.
Okocha’s style of play was just the sparkle that Sam Allardyce’s side needed. The Super Eagle star enjoyed a profitable manager/player relationship with Big Sam.The pair garnered attention with their hilarious on-pitch dance routines that was evidence of their truly special working synergy. “Sam Allardyce became more than just my boss – we became friends. I loved his philosophy. We understood each other very well. When I signed for the club, Big Sam told me that he believed in me and that my influence will take the club to the next level,” Jay Jay recalled.
“Bolton was like a family. It was shocking to see how close the fans were to the team. They made me feel so welcome. I fell in love with the club,” he avowed.
After scoring 14 goals in 124 appearances and helping the club to 43 wins, the midfield maestro picked Senegalese striker, El Hadji Diouf as the greatest African teammate he ever had in the English Premier League “He was a special talent. His life off the pitch was very controversial but as a footballer, he was superb” Okocha disclosed. I was then curious to find out who Jay Jay considered his toughest opponent,” I don’t want to sound arrogant because I believe my greatest opponent is me. However, if I have to pick anyone else, I would say Cameroonian right-back, Lauren who played for Arsenal was very tough to play against,” the 1994 Afcon winner admitted.
Like Samuel Eto’o after hanging up his boots, I wondered if ‘Jay Jay’ nurtured ambitions of heading his countries football federation. This was his response to my last question: “I cannot rule this out in future but at the moment, I am focused on my roles as a brand ambassador for different corporate companies. I am busy with several business ventures and I am just concentrating on being a successful business owner”
After closing our interview, I turned on the flash settings on my phone camera to take clear pictures and videos of myself with the legendary footballer. These images were not just bragging rights for social media platforms; they were credible evidence for my future grandkids.
As we both posed for the flashing cameras, I still could not believe I was standing next to the footballer that I often tried to imitate as a child, chasing down soccer balls in the hot sun with friends in dirty school uniforms.
I still could not believe I was standing next to the footballer that made households in Nigeria erupt with screams of ‘IZ A GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!’ as Jay Jay scored an unbelievable free-kick in the last minute of a game. Such was the magical moments that he created.
I could not believe I was standing next to the man so good they named him twice. My late dad would have loved to snap a picture with Jay Jay too.
Dad was a raving fan.