News

We Don’t Have Creative Midfielders – Jay Jay Okocha

Published

10 years ago

November 19, 2014

African football legend, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has given the greatest hints that he may soon bounce back to the sport that brought him fame and fortune to help in discovering young creative midfielders.
Okocha whose magical displays gladdened many souls has decried the lack of creative midfielders as presently obtained in the Super Eagles and promised to offer his wealth of experience to the nation in discovering such talents “when the time is right”.
The ex Super Eagles captain who is an Ambassador to Western Union as a way to help vulnerable children get the education they deserve, however, said that he would wait until such a time that Nigerian football administration is “clean” before he ventures into discovering gifted players in mould.
“It’s a gradual thing. I hope you know that I am the Vice Chairman of Delta State Football Association”, he reminded the Reporter stressing that by the virtue of the Chairman’s election as President of Nigeria Football Federation(Pinnick), he now assumes the responsibility of running the sport.
“It’s a gradual process. For now, I’m working in the state until such a time that I’ll step up into the national scene”, he volunteered.
With his now famous toothpaste smile, Okocha who played for a catalogue of teams like Borussia Neunkirchen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bolton Wanderers, Fernabache, Paris St Germain refused to entertain questions on the national team and coach Stephen Keshi but preferred to focus on his Ambassadorial works with Wester Union on the PASS-project that has supported UNICEF secondary education programmes in Jamaica, Nigeria and Turkey.
“It’s a laudable programme that has opened the window of opportunities for young people around the world into support for access for quality education. One needs to help the younger ones carve a niche in education. That is a sure way of producing better youths who indeed will be leaders of tomorrow”.
The midfield maestro whose dribbles and sublime passes and free kicks set apart as a genius confessed that life outside the game has not been that easy.
“Initially, it’s like a fish out of water situation. But one has integrated well”.
However, if there is one thing that Okocha would not find a solution to is the massive fans who still flock around him.
“It’s amazing”, he said and has cut out certain areas as no-go areas. “There are so many ares that as a matter of fact that I cannot go to because of the massive scramble of fans”.
And how rich is the former mercurial player? He smiled and said “I’m good like every other person”.