Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, a former Super Eagles midfielder, expressed his regrets about not receiving the CAF Player of the Year Award during his professional football career.
Okocha consistently played well for the Super Eagles on the international stage, helping the team win the 1994 tournament and becoming the highest goalscorer in the 2004 edition with four goals.
The Nigerian legend had an illustrious career, showcasing his skills at renowned clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Eintracht Frankfurt, Paris Saint-Germain, and Fenerbahce.
The former Super Eagles midfielder, Okocha, was a joy to watch and due to his perfect blend of flair, he earned multiple BBC Africa Player of the Year awards.
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Okocha speaks on winning CAF Award
AFCON winner JayJay Okocha has claimed that he deserves to win at least one CAF Player of the Year Award during his playing days.
“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 told Omasports.
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“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.”
Mustapha Hadji won the CAF Player of the Year in 1998, with Okocha finishing in second place, which was the closest Okocha ever got to winning the award.
Many believe that Okocha, one of the world's most revered football talents, did not win as many trophies as his skills deserved, which affected his chances of winning the award.