Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (born 14 August 1973 in Enugu) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder. Okocha is due to play in the newly formed Indian Soccer League in March 2012 and is up for auction for £351,000. He is known for his stepovers, skill, technique, and being 'so good that they named him twice' (a line immortalized in a terrace chant while Okocha played for Bolton Wanderers). While playing at Super Lig team Fenerbahçe, he became a Turkish citizen as "Muhammet Yavuz".
Personal life
Okocha met his wife Nkechi in 1994 and they have two children Daniella and A-Jay. His older brother Emmanuel was also a former international for the Nigerian team. Okocha is a cousin of Prof. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's former Minister of Finance, Foreign Affairs Minister and World Bank Managing Director. Okocha is also a member of the Anioma, a subgroup of Igboethnic group. His nephew Kamocha is a player for the Guna F.C.. Okocha was named-checked in M.I.A's single "Paper Planes" featuring Afrikan Boy with the lyrics "I'm a legend, just like Jay Jay Okocha".
Career
(Early years) Okocha's "Jay-Jay" name was actually passed down from his older brother James, who started playing football first. His immediate older brother Emmanuel was also called Emma Jay-jay, but the name stuck with Augustine. Okocha first began playing football on the street just like many other football stars, usually with a makeshift ball. Jay Jay Okocha was born in Enugu, Nigeria to Mr. & Mrs Okocha of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria. In an interview with BBC Sport he said "as far as I can remember, we used to play with anything, with any round thing we could find, and whenever we managed to get hold of a ball, that was a bonus! I mean it was amazing!" Known for making the move,"Sombrero Flick." In 1990 he joined Enugu Rangers.
In his time at the club he produced many spectacular displays including one where he rounded off and scored a goal, against experienced Nigerian goalkeeper William Okpara in a match against BCC Lions. Later he travelled to Germany to meet a friend, where he was asked to train with his team after impressing in training, and landed a deal with German Third Division side Borussia Neunkirchen.
Eintracht Frankfurt (1992–1996): Okocha joined Eintracht Frankfurt in 1992, where he linked up with many well-known players including Ghanaian international striker Tony Yeboah and later Thomas Doll. He continued to shine for the German side, one highlight being a goal he scored against Karlsruhe, dribbling in the penalty box and slotting the ball past Oliver Kahn even going past some players twice.The goal was voted Goal of the Season by many soccer magazines.
International career
Okocha made his official debut for Nigeria in their 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss against Ivory Coast in May 1993.It was not until his second cap and home debut that he became a favourite with the Nigerian supporters. With Nigeria trailing 1–0 against Algeria, in a match they needed to win, he scored from a direct freekick to equalise, before helping the team to a 4–1 win, eventually securing qualification to their first World Cup. In 1994 he was a member of both the victorious 1994 Africa Cup of Nations squad and the World Cup squad who made it to the second round before they lost in a dramatic match against eventual runners-up Italy.
Honours
• Oberliga Südwest: 1991
• Saarland Cup: 1990, 1992
• Fuji-Cup: 1992
• Chancellor Cup: 1998
• Atatürk Cup: 1998
• Trophée des Champions: 1998
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
• Football League Cup: Runner-Up: 2004
• Premier League Asia Trophy: 2005
• Football League Championship play-off: 2008
International Honours
• African Cup of Nations: 1994
• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations: 1995
• Olympic Games: 1996
• World Cup
o Round of 16: 1994, 1998
Individual Honours
Okocha never won the African Player of Year award, becoming arguably the best player never to win the award despite coming second twice in 1998 & 2004. He did however win the inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year and the successive one, becoming the only player to retain the award and win it more than once. In 2004 he was listed in football legend Pelé's FIFA 100 (a list of the greatest 125 living players of all time). In 2007 he was voted number 12 on the greatest African footballers of the past 50 years list, on a poll conducted by CAF to coincide with their 50th anniversary.
• 2004 BBC African Footballer of the Year
• 2005 BBC African Footballer of the Year
• 2005 Bolton Wanderers footballer of the year
• 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Nigerian footballer of the year
• 1996 Nigerian footballer of the year runner up
• FIFA 100
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