Okocha Expresses Regret Over Missing Out on CAF Player of the Year Award
Former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has admitted his disappointment at never winning the prestigious CAF Player of the Year award during his illustrious football career.
In an interview with Omasports, the legendary midfielder reflected on what he believes was an unfair omission from the honours list, despite his consistent brilliance for both club and country.
“I thought I did enough to have won it (the CAF Player of the Year), but at the end of the day, I have to take it on the chin and say maybe that’s life,” Okocha said.
“You can’t have it all, maybe it wasn’t meant to be. But I believe I deserved in at least one occasion to have won it. Because if you look at that list and look at some of the people that won it during my time, I agree that it was unfair.”
Okocha enjoyed a remarkable career that saw him light up stadiums across Europe with spells at Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bolton Wanderers. His dazzling skills, creativity, and flair made him a fan favourite, earning him accolades including the BBC African Footballer of the Year, which he won multiple times.
At the international level, Okocha was pivotal to Nigeria’s success. He was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and played a key role in Nigeria’s gold medal-winning team at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. He also finished as top scorer at the 2004 AFCON.
Despite these achievements, the CAF Player of the Year award eluded him. His best finish came in 1998 when he placed second behind Morocco’s Mustapha Hadji.
Okocha’s remarks highlight a wider sentiment among fans and pundits who believe he deserved more recognition on the continental stage.
He joins a list of top Nigerian stars, including John Obi Mikel and Vincent Enyeama, who never won the CAF Player of the Year award despite impressive club and international performances.
