Okocha explains why Nigerian footballers are more successful than South African stars

Super Eagles legend Austin J.J. Okocha has shared his hypothesis for why South African footballers struggle to succeed in Europe, in sharp contrast to their Nigerian counterparts.

Okocha, 52, is one of the litany of Nigerian-born players—past and present—who have had successful football careers in the top leagues, with stints at PSG, Frankfurt, Bolton, etc.

While South Africa has also had successful exports like Steven Pienaar, Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe, and currently Burnley’s Lyle Foster, the volume pales in comparison to Nigeria.

In recent years, the Super Eagles have been able to field top stars from European football like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Wilfred Ndidi, while Bafana Bafana has had to rely largely on players from their domestic league.

This has been a huge topic of conversation in South Africa, with Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos openly admitting he wished more of their players plied their trade in Europe.

During an appearance on Thabisa Mosia’s Game On programme on Radio 2000, Okocha was drawn into the conversation. The former Super Eagles star cited the hunger and drive of Nigerian players as the reason for sustained success in European football. He argued that South African players are too comfortable at home.

“First of all, you must have the desire to become the best version of yourself,” Okocha said, per Africa Soccer. “For you to make a name for yourself globally, you must get out of your comfort zone, and this is the problem.

“It is my opinion that South African players are too comfortable at home. That drive is not really there. But we Nigerians, we’re very ambitious people. We like to challenge ourselves. 

“Of course, when you come to a country like Germany, you have to try to socialise and understand the culture of the people. You have to be willing to learn the language and just learn in general. It’s a lot easier if you have people who mentor you, but it’s also about how you present yourself.

“If you show that you’re willing to learn, then your stay will be a lot easier. My advice is just to be open and make sure you have that hunger and desire to become the best version of yourself.”