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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) French topflight league organisers Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain and Eintracht Frankfurt have sent birthday wishes to Nigeria football legend Austin Okocha who clocked 53 on Friday.
The four football bodies took to their X handles to send their birthday wishes.
CAF wrote:”Still one of the smoothest to ever do it. ✨
“Happy birthday to Nigerian icon and CAF Ambassador, Jay-Jay Okocha! .”
PSG stated:”Happy birthday, Jay-Jay Okocha!
“53 today. ❤️.”
According to Frankfurt:”Happy Birthday, – !
“We wish our Eintracht legend all the best on his 53rd birthday today ❤️.”
On their part Ligue 1 said:”So good that they named him twice
“Happy Birthday, Jay-Jay Okocha .”
Club Career
Okocha joined Eintracht Frankfurt in December 1991, where he linked up with many well-known players including Ghanaian international striker Tony Yeboah.
He continued to shine for the German side, one highlight being a goal he scored against Karlsruher SC, dribbling in the penalty box, even going past some players twice, and slotting the ball past goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
The goal was voted Goal of the Season by many football magazines, and also voted as the 1993 Goal of the Year by viewers of Sportschau (an ARD German TV sports programme).
Okocha joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe for approximately £1 million following Eintracht Frankfurt’s relegation to the 2. Bundesliga. In his two seasons with the team, he amassed 30 goals in 62 appearances, many of them coming from direct free kicks, which became something of a trademark for him at the club.
Also Read: Okocha Remains The Real GOAT –Burna Boy
In 1998, French side Paris Saint-Germain spent around £14 million to sign Okocha, making him the most expensive African player at the time. In his four-year stint with PSG, he played 84 matches and scored 12 goals. He also served as a mentor for young Brazilian footballer and future Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldinho during his time in Paris.
In the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup Okocha would go on to score 5 goals and help PSG become joint champions along with Aston Villa F.C. and ES Troyes AC.
On 18 June Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer after leaving PSG in the summer of 2002 following the FIFA World Cup. He steered the team away from relegation with seven goals, including one later voted the team’s Goal of the Season in the vital league win against West Ham United.
This was also chosen as Bolton’s best ever Premier League goal by a fan vote in 2008.
The next season saw Okocha receive more responsibility as he was given the captain’s armband following Guðni Bergsson’s retirement. As captain he led Bolton to the 2004 Football League Cup final, their first cup final in nine years, where they finished runners-up to Middlesbrough.
In 2017, Okocha was voted the best player to have ever played for Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.
International Career
At international level he was part of the Flying Eagles squad that featured at the 1993 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations where they crashed out in the group stage.
Okocha was part of the Super Eagles side that won the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia and reached the round of 16 in their debut at the World Cup in the same year.
Also he was a key member of the Dream Team that won an historic gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
Recognition By Pele
In March 2004, he was named one of the top 125 living footballers by late Brazil football legend Edson Arantes do Nacimento popularly known as Pele.
By James Agberebi
