Sports
Ronaldinho Did What Okocha Had Done 10, 15 Years Before -Eto’o
Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o believes his counterpart from Nigeria, Augustine ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, did not get the recognition he deserved for his exploits in football.
The former Super Eagles midfielder was one of the finest players during his era owing to his skill and intelligence.
The newly-elected Fecafoot president believes the West African was talented just like Brazilian Ronaldinho. He has now expressed his displeasure considering the fact that the now 48-year-old did not receive as many accolades, stating it is an “injustice of world football”.
“It is the injustice of world football. What we saw Ronaldinho do a few years ago, Jay-Jay [Okocha] had done 10 or 15 years before and he never had the recognition of others. And that’s what happens when it comes to Africa,” Eto’o said.
Okocha started his career as a youth at Enugu Rangers before being snapped up by German side Borussia Neunkirchen, where he played from 1990-1992. He would later join Eintracht Frankfurt from 1992, where he spent until 1996.
The next stop for the midfielder was in Turkish top-tier side Fenerbahce between 1996 and 1998, before being signed by French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain for the next four years.
The most appearances for the player came at the English side Bolton Wanderers, where he played from 2002 to 2006 before winding his football career down with Qatar FC and later Hull City.
In international football, Okocha managed to win the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) trophy in 1994 with Nigeria. He also helped his country secure Africa’s first Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 with his dazzling skill.
In 2004 while at PSG, Okocha played a part in mentoring Ronaldinho; the latter went on to win several top awards including two Fifa World Player of the Year Awards and Ballon d’Or, something Okocha never came close to winning.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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