Okocha claims ‘football politics’ deprived him of winning African Player of the Year award

Though widely regarded as a master dribbler and one of his era's most gifted players, fans often feel Okocha's career fell short of its true potential.

The Super Eagles legend also did not add enough personal accolades to showcase how good he was during his playing days.

One award he did not win was the African Player of the Year award, but he finished in the top three in multiple years.

Speaking on the ObiOne podcast, the former Super Eagles captain addressed whether his chances were hindered by not playing for one of Europe's elite clubs. Okocha dismissed this idea, suggesting other factors were at play.

"No, no, no, not really," Okocha stated, disagreeing that a big-club move was the missing piece. Instead, he pointed towards the influence of "football politics" on the voting process during his era.

"I can openly say now that then, of course, a lot of football politics was in place," he explained. He noted that even players who won major trophies with top clubs were not guaranteed the individual honour.

Okocha highlighted his back-to-back wins of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award as evidence of his standing, questioning the criteria for the main prize. 

"I won BBC Player of the Year twice in a row, but I still didn’t win it," he remarked. "So what do you need to win?"

Despite never securing the coveted title, the gifted midfielder expressed a sense of acceptance, believing that some achievements are simply not destined to happen. "When you look at it, some things are not meant to be," he reflected.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles legend Jay-Jay Okocha has also revealed the real origin of his famous name.