Confession: How Jay-Jay Okocha hype left Ghanaian footballer frustrated
Legendary Nigerian midfielder Austin Okocha was so good and so was subject of media hype. Former Ghanaian footballer, George Boateng has now confessed he was frustrated with the praise Jay-Jay received.
The media hype surrounding Austin Okocha ahead of the 2004 League Cup final between Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers didn’t sit well with George Boateng, who played for Middlesbrough at the time.
Despite Okocha’s reputation as one of the Premier League’s greatest Nigerians and his influential role at Bolton, Boateng felt confident in his team’s ability to compete.
Boateng expressed his frustration with the media’s focus on Okocha, saying that Middlesbrough was a team of eleven players, not just one individual. He believed his side had the capability to neutralize Okocha’s influence on the game.
In an interview with the BBC on the 20th anniversary of the final, Boateng recalled his mindset leading up to the match.
While acknowledging Okocha’s talent, Boateng questioned the excessive attention given to him by the media. He expressed his determination to contain Okocha during the game and believed he could handle the challenge effectively.
“I was a bit agitated with the media,” Ghana-born Boateng said. “They were all hyping up on Jay-Jay Okocha, I was getting sick of it.
“I did the press, they asked me how we were going to stop Okocha, and I said: ‘Excuse me, we are playing 11 players, it’s not only Jay-Jay Okocha on the pitch, we’re playing Bolton’.
“Don’t get me wrong, he was a good player, but in my head I was thinking what’s the hype about Jay-Jay Okocha, and that we’ve got Boateng so what’s the problem?
“I didn’t see much of Jay-Jay Okocha [in the final]. Did you? He’s not superhuman; I can stop him, it’s not a problem.”
Middlesbrough emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in that final game to win the League Cup title.
