The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Austin Okocha

  • Okocha is a magician, says Micah Richards

    MANCHESTER City former right-back, Micah Richards has praised the duo of Austin Okocha and Alex Iwobi for their great exploits on the football field.

    Richards, who stated this when he made a quick stop in Nigeria as part of the Man City Global Tour courtesy of STAR Lager, described Okocha as ‘special’ and ‘full of magic’.

    He also expressed his admiration for Mikel Obi in his prime, as well as Alex Iwobi, who recently departed Arsenal FC for Everton.

    Richards said he was a big fan of Iwobi and congratulated him on his goal-scoring debut at Everton.

    Read Also: Ebonyi soccer fans celebrate Jay Jay Okocha at 46

    Fans were pleasantly surprised to see just how much Richards knew about African football and he made an instant impact on the Nigerian fans, most of which were excited to get up close and personal with the former City Star.

    Fans also got the chance to see the six silverware Manchester City won during the 2018/2019 season, as all trophies were on display at the exclusive event.

    STAR lager made the already remarkable evening, even extra special by giving out Man. City & STAR memorabilia to the guests in attendance.

    STAR’s landmark partnership with the Citizens allows the brand to deliver evenings such as these, which gives fans the opportunity to get even closer to their favourite clubs.

    Alongside Man. City, STAR Lager are also partners with some European football heavyweights such as PSG, Juventus, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea.

  • Okocha counts blessings celebrates daughter Danniie

     

    Former Super Eagles midfield maestro Austin Okocha is in a thanksgiving mood as he celebrates with his daughter Danniie.

    The former PSG and Bolton Wanderers ace in what looks like counting his blessings not only for achievements made on the pitch but also off the pitch and on the home front, identified with her daughter who had taken to her instagram Tuesday to dish out one of her photos.

    And her proud father apparently not wanting to allow the interesting moment pass uncelebrated responded to the effect saying “My baby girl is rocking”

    Okocha described by some soccer fans in the country as Greatest Nigerian player of all times, ranks among Nigerian players who settled to family life early and whose kids have already grown up to appreciate and enjoy the dividends of their father’s contribution to the round leather game not only in Nigeria but also across the globe.

    Although none of his kids appear to be tickled enough to want to emulate his exploits in sports but his cousin and Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi has since stepped in, in pursuit of glorious career.

    He had in several interviews spoken glowingly about the contributions of his uncle and his desire not only to replicate his achievement but surpass it.

    Fans of the former Fenerbahçe ace still recall with nostalgia when he almost single handed while playing for Bolton Wanderers between 2002 and 2006 saved the club from hitting the relegation waters.

    Unfortunately the club’s fortune has continued to nose dive getting relegated recently from EFL Championship to the second tier of the English football. Okocha’s period at the Reebok interesting saw a lot of fans in Nigeria aligning with the club.

    Though counting his blessings at the home front, Okocha also spares a thought for the national team, declaring shortly after AFCON 2019 draw in Egypt that he expects the Eagles to go all out and win the trophy.

    Eagles will face Guinea, Burundi and Madagascar in the group stage.

  • Russia 2018: Okocha blames loss to Croatia on lack of creativity

    Former Super Eagles midfield maestro, Jay Jay Okocha has blamed the team’s 0-2 loss to Croatia in their opening World Cup game on lack of creativity.

    Okocha, who was a guest on Super Sports TV, said the team lost because the players played in wrong positions which didn’t bring out the best in them.

    “We didn’t have a creative midfielder today. Mikel Obi has been a great servant but I think his best position is sitting in front of the back four.

    “We saw him play as a defensive midfielder in Chelsea and he did so well,” he said.

    The veteran player also added that Alex Iwobi was the most creative midfielder in the national team at the moment but playing him as a winger “was taking his strength from him”.

    “Iwobi can play from the wings in Arsenal because there is a Mesut Ozil who brings creativity.

    “I think the only reason why we lost this game is because our players played in the wrong positions and we didn’t get the best out of them,” he added.

    Nigeria will take on Iceland on June 22 and play their last Group D game against Argentina on June 26. (NAN)

  • Documentaries on Okocha, Oliseh to feature at African Football Film Festival

    Documentaries on Okocha, Oliseh to feature at African Football Film Festival

    Documentaries on how former Nigeria internationals, Sunday Oliseh and Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha made their mark during their time in the German Bundesliga will be aired at the ongoing 2017 African Football Film Festival (AFFF) onTuesday, 25th April 2017 at The Gym, Agege Stadium, Agege in Lagos.

    The documentaries which will also feature Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Gabon and Bachirou Salou from Togo are part of  Day 2 activities lined up to mark the 3rd edition of AFFF tagged  “The State of African Football”.

    Apart from the films, other programs lined up for the day will feature players, coaches, journalists, sports administrators to discuss “What Future for African Footballers”.

    According to the organisers, PLAY!YA Nigeria, the organisation hosts the festival as a way to further its agenda of using sports to “communicate and address topics such as human rights, social integration, youth empowerment, violence prevention and health awareness.

    “Unlike the football industry, a dream factory producing perfect pictures, AFFF tells true stories about opportunities, challenges and pitfalls of the beautiful game like the love for football, bad governance, corruption or trafficking of players.

    “So AFFF is bringing together footballers, coaches, administrators, sports journalists and the public to discuss these challenges while enjoying top-class football films and an entertaining cultural programme,” said the PLAY!YA Nigeria coordinator, Eze Alloysius.

    .Cross section of participants at the Day 1 of the 2017 AFFF in Lagos

    The Day 1 of the event held on Thursday at the Women Development Centre, opp. LSDPC Estate, Pen Cinema, Agege featured a documentary on Little Mubiru Reagan was abandoned by his parents in the Ugandan capital Kampala. He survives by collecting garbage and selling scrap metal, but still dreams of taking his country to the African Cup of Nations. The film title “The Other Kids”shows the hardships for ambitious players in Uganda. It also features the Spanish striker Fernando Torres and national team coach Vincente del Bosque.

    .Documentary on “The Other Kids” being shown at the 2017 AFFF

    The forum gave the attendees, who included coaches and sports journalists, the ample opportunity to examine the level of grassroots football in the country.

    The Day 3 activities which is opened to general public (especially children and families), will hold on the 28 April at 412 Junction, Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos. It will also feature three film shows titled African Legends, Part 3 + (4), Offside Istanbul + (1) and The Other Kids.

  • Eagles’ performance thrills IBB

    Eagles’ performance thrills IBB

    Former President General Ibrahim Babangida could not hold his joy Saturday as Super Eagles flogged Desert Warriors of Algeria 3-1 to earn their second victory of the World Cup qualifiers.
    He did not only give the entire team a pat on the back for the impressive run but also singled out Chelsea duo Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel who scored 25th , 42nd and 90th minute goals for Nigeria respectively. The Minna born General went ahead to urge his followers on twitter to retweet his submission as a mark of love for the Nigerian team who by their performance have consolidated on leadership of the group with six points and five goals in the kitty .
    “I am really proud of the super Eagles. RETWEET if you also do. Mikel and Moses” he enthused
    The encouter drew creme dela creme of the society including senate President Bukola Saraki to the nest of Champions. Also on hand to cheer the Eagles to victory was the former Akwa Ibom State Governor Senator Godswill Akpabio who incidentally built the venue
    One of the thrilling highlights was the moment Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi re-enacted the trade mark of his nephew and former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha, flipping the ball above the heads of two Algerian players to the admiration of fans.
    An equally satisfied former international Jonathan Akpoborie later summed up his feeling “Very good victory for Nigeria today,” he said

  • New Age Mobile launches new campaign

    New Age Mobile launches new campaign

    • Names Okocha as brand ambassador

    Indication has emerged on why New Age Mobile Concepts Ltd. signed Nigeria’s football legend, Austin J.J Okocha, to endorse its range of battery chargers and power banks.

    “Mobile phones and Tablets have become an integral part of our lives with many feeling incomplete without their phones or tablets. Mobile phones have been used to save the day, pass urgent messages, capture once in a lifetime moment etc. Dead phones are however as bad as no phones,” brand handlers of New Age said.

    New Age Chargers & Power Banks have a range of quality products with the uniqueness of dual charging ports even for its potable and trendy Power bank Y20 that can be clipped to the pocket without inhibiting ones movement.

    Developed around the ability to capture rare moments if only ones phone is charged, the campaign features JJ Okocha; the brand ambassador in awkward situations worth capturing.

    Running through the entire print platform i.e. Press, Outdoor, BRT, Radio and the social Media, the new campaign also on radio reveals the reality people face when their phone batteries whither when they are suppose to capture a critical and intriguing life experiences, activities and moments that can never be recalled again.

    Though one of the print copies had been misinterpreted by some social media users saying its seductive but New Age Chargers have, however, clarified the concept pointing out that the focus is on the moment, especially a trendy Power bank Y20 clipped to the waste by a female model, which does not inhibiting users movement.

    “New Age products make users continuously ‘Stay On’ by rapidly charging and huge capacity to store,” says a brand analyst, Soromidayo Ekundayo.

  • Okocha advised me to pick Nigeria – Iwobi

    Okocha advised me to pick Nigeria – Iwobi

    Arsenal youngster, Alex Iwobi, has revealed that ex Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, convinced him to dump England for Nigeria, after telling him that he would become a better player with the three-time African champions.

    Iwobi appeared 11 times for England’s youth sides before making his international debut for Nigeria in the October 8 friendly against Democratic Republic of Congo, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

    “Right now I would say I’m pushing to play for Nigeria,” allnigeriasoccer.com quoted the youngster as saying in the latest edition of Arsenal Magazine.

    “Playing for England was a good experience but Nigeria gave me a great opportunity to go and play for my home country, and also follow in the footsteps of my uncle. So I think that is going to be the pathway for me.

    “He (Okocha) told me that if I played for Nigeria I could become even better than him. To hear that was massive because he was a great player. He’s given me a challenge and I might have to accept it.”

     

     

  • Okocha made us to abandon Bolton style – Diouf

    Okocha made us to abandon Bolton style – Diouf

    Former Senegalese World Cup star, El Hadji Diouf, has revealed that former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha told his fellow Bolton players to play as they like and not to the instructions of the manager.

    Both El Hadji Diouf and Okocha featured for Bolton when the club featured in the English Premier League, africanFootball.com reports.

    “Big Sam (Bolton manager) gave us orders, but Jay-Jay told us ‘play as you want to’,” africanFootball.com quoted the two-time African Player of the Year as saying in an interview.

    “We played the most beautiful football in England and finished sixth two years running.

    “I loved playing with great players like Jay-Jay Okocha, Fernando Hierro, Vincent Candela and Nicholas Anelka.”

  • GLO/CAF AWARDS: Austin Okocha Tips Yaya Toure

    GLO/CAF AWARDS: Austin Okocha Tips Yaya Toure

    Retired Nigeria  international Austin  Okocha is still rueing the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    “Those that qualified for the finals have earned it. Concerning Nigeria, it is useless to lament. Nigeria was favoured to be among the 16 qualifiers, but this is not the case. We must try to understand what went wrong and correct the errors, so that they do not recur, ”  Okocha told Le Buteur.

    The former PSG and Fenerbahce star has tipped Yaya Toure of Manchester City to clinch the African Footballer of the Year when the winner is announced next month.

    “Musa has his own qualities, but in my opinion, Yaya Toure is the best African player, he is on course to win the title logically,” said Okocha.

    Jay Jay is the head of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Technical Study Group.

  • Austin Okocha celebrates wife

    Austin Okocha celebrates wife

    AS one of the finest flowers of football that ever lived, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, remains the pride of Nigeria and the African continent, forget the football politics that ensured that he never won the highly coveted African Footballer of the Year award in her active football years when a mere flick of his foot could send the entire members of the opposing team in the wrong direction.

    He was so good on the ball that fans and admirers doubled his middle name to Jay Jay.

    Now retired, the well-travelled footballer has ploughed the bulk of his earnings from a football career that spanned almost two decades in Europe into various businesses. A few days ago, his beautiful wife, Nkechi, added another year and some of the Jay Jay’s friends were on hand to celebrate with her.

    The amiable and hospitable woman had almost all her friends in attendance not just to have a swell evening but also to support her during the celebration.