Nigerian football legend Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has revealed the story behind the famous nickname that became synonymous with his illustrious football career.
Okocha explained that the name originated from the neighbourhood where he grew up, where football was a common pastime among children in the community.
According to the former Super Eagles captain, he and his two brothers were all footballers and often played together on the streets, noting that they were simply on the street playing football.
He explained that because several family members were named Austin, the nickname was initially used to distinguish him from his brothers, explaining that with a few Austins around at the time, the “Jay Jay” tag was used to identify which Austin’s brother he was, and the name “Austin Jay Jay” eventually stuck.
The nickname later became even more useful when Okocha travelled abroad and people struggled to pronounce his given name, Augustine. He said that when he began travelling, people found his name difficult to pronounce, so he found “Jay Jay” much easier and decided to adopt it, eventually having it put in his passport.
The name would eventually become his football identity, with Okocha earning global recognition for his exceptional dribbling ability, creativity and flair during a career that saw him play for clubs including Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain, Bolton Wanderers and Qatar SC.
In a humorous reference to the origin of the nickname, Okocha joked that he still pays royalties to his brother for it.
The nickname “Jay-Jay” ultimately became one of the most recognisable names in African football, with Okocha regarded as one of Nigeria’s greatest-ever players.
