If Jay Jay Okocha were a white, would he have won the European footballer of the year or FIFA World Best Player Award?

No. Simply because his contributions to the national team and clubside are nothing to be compared with what those who have been selected in the past have done

in addition,okocha is a great talent but not in the same category with past winners like WEAH,Zidane,Figo ,Ronaldo,Ronaldinhoe.t.c These are fast paced footballers, who think on the ball, great team players ,good ball handlers and above all very humble people. Okocha lack the basic skills of football.Okocha has the raw talent,but over the years he has failed to polish it. It is obvious to everybody that Okocha of 1994 is better than Okocha of 2005.

I believe Okocha is getting better each year but age has taken toll on him now so he lacks pace.
But talk of skill, he's great.
I believe if he's a white he would have won it.
But it's disgusting that he hasn't won Best African footballer award so it's difficult for him to win any now.
He was superb in France even when the Super eagles failed he was rated the only player in the team.
That earned him then a transfer of £17.5 million to PSG.

He's a great Player.

Okocha should forget about winning it now. Is too late, I mean>>>tooooooooooo late.

@ stranger......you got the point......and you are right ! You cannot compare a Jay Jay Okocha with a Zidane, Raul, Lampard, Klose, Ibrahimovic, Ballack, Keane, Owen, Beckham or me

You are wrong Trooper, I can't see you matching someone like Owen with my Okocha, Okocha is too much for him. Maybe, you are confused by their pattern of play otherwise I would let you know that those players fear Okocha atleast to an extent. Remember what Okocha told Owen in France 98 during our game with England>>>"I will let you know the difference between a rat and a rabbit"; Okocha fulfilled it. He is very skillful just that he doesn't have European pattern of play i.e fast games.

How old is Jay Jay now ? 33 ? 34 ? I guess he's still playing somewhere in the UK, right ? He had good times and a few highlights when he was playing in the Germany but that's about it.

content deleted

JJ's problem is reluctance. If he had been serious with this title, he should have shine more and leave that Bolton for a more profound club. Eto's success if we can reason very well, is his club Barcel..., which is a good team that'll motivate any player in it. If he Eto had been in west Brom or something like that, I don't even think he would have made any name not to talk of coming out for African Footballer of the year contest.

I am still looking for reason why Jay-Jay is nominated. Probably because of his friendship with Pele or Allan Hansen or the Sky Sport people.
He's a great player but DO NOT MERIT THIS

I dont think so but he certainly would have been recognized much more than he is now.

Owen, I dont agree with you. WHEN ? Probably 2 seasons ago.

JJ could have made it, but not presently where he feels he has made enough contributions in football. This is my problem about him: one who aims only at average. If someone like Obafemi had had all his (Okocha's) talents, I don't see who would have been in his way for the award, but Okocha being sluggish, believes in the history he has made long ago, forgetting that one's performance is judged by the present. Consequently, he almost going out of the phase.

My previous post was on the topic not on what you said Akolawole. But anyway, about that, I think you are right. And I also think what drbigdaddyg said is absolutely right. Okocha isn't particularly a serious person sorry to say. Okocha must have been nominated because he won the previous one and also the one before. CHEERS.

In addition, Okocha has never shown the world that he has a great undertsanding of soccer. Okocha lack the ability to single handedly change the course of a match. Every coach Okocha has worked with seem not to trust his technical skill.He has never been given the freewill most world class players enjoy like Ferguson simply telling David Beckam to go to the field and play soccer, Like Wenger excusing pre match talk for Henry,Like Trapatonni giving Freanceco Totti a free role at the last World cup, Like Zidane and Rivaldo taking part in pre - match brainstorming with their coaches before major tournaments and on and on.

He doesn't have a single team title (bar AFCON 1994 and Atlanta 1996 Gold) to his name. And that my dears is the reason he isn't considered a great, but just another mercurial talent.

Eto'o can get the African Footballer of the year award as much as he can, but (confirmed) he still would bow to Okocha anywhere!.

you guys have got to be kidding me? beckam, ibrahim..? lets face it.. Okocha is a great player..one of the best dribblers and controllers i've ever seen(and i've watched MANY)...just watch the games, and dont be to quick to criticize..the guy is great!..and i know nothing of him personally to start passing judgment on his character, or to even go so far as to compare his character with other soccer players...i dont eat with them or drink with them....so lets talk about his game...from a fan's point of view, the man is great to watch; only other player i prefer watching more is C. Ronaldo. Let's be fair, please! To answer the question..I DONT KNOW. I truly hope his color wouldnt make any difference in deciding his value as a player. I hate it when politics gets in the way of sports!

Guys sy what you may but i personally think Jay Jay is one of th most talented players of all time . Undoubtably he is the most skilled and best dribbler in Europe right now and has been for some time now . i think he has been a bit too under rated and I think it is rather late for him to get such an award . His upsence can be felt and seen when Nigeria is playing esp. in the current Africa Cup ...........but i gather he is back now so watch this space ..............Tjovitjo Jay Jay .

No. I love Okocha to death but he hasn't been the best in both awards. He hasn't changed much from his early days at Enugu Rangers. One of the most gifted footballers of our time but never had the "win at all cost" approach of champions, who unfortunately are not as gifted as he is. A wonderful career regardless.

This would have been a better argument if it was started years ago. But personally I think the mistake Okocha made that really affected his career, is his decision to go to Turkey. That ruined all the chances he had to become a great player.

He was a budding talent who should have gone where his game will be helped to grow, but he decided otherwise and headed to a country that cannot be given attention when the issue of club football is being discussed. He shot himself in the leg and he couldn't get his game up again. From PSG, Okocha should have gone to a bigger club or if he couldn't secure one, should have gone to a club that is on the same level with PSG, but Alas! He decided otherwise. At times I wonder if this players have good advisers at all.

Point of correction, Okocha is never a great man, he was a great man!!!

Point of correction, Okocha is never a great man, he was a great man!!!

FYI, the goalie running around (like a chicken with his head cut off) is Oliver Kahn, and the number 7 lying on the ground is David Beckham, and oh, he also cut through the entire Argentinian defense in this video.

[center]
[flash=400,300]http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvp.video.google.com%2Fvideodownload%3Fversion%3D0%26secureurl%3DlAAAAG5m9qQFgeAqYxhb844AhN0o8rTL-8XJ8WI2KxMB5G6z0G5SraB-qQOShsvn2bNNfFq78kR_tk3LCpvq1eU7Fr0qcKIvIznxnnGbHJJIeoBxoqKqU9amcyv27Jh98wk4bjbEsPVmJQk41A9HG5io2fpivdb6vN_OiOldiEM5Ofqe75CX_lhKX7hCk9mwiA02IndQPZrENKrFRdqBdqs5cdg%26sigh%3Dw5RaQNnbpfXzAiIW-pWxY5AQhfM%26begin%3D0%26len%3D179633%26docid%3D2690039553884100663&thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer%3Fcontentid%3D48628ad9286c2248%26second%3D5%26itag%3Dw320%26urlcreated%3D1139949826%26sigh%3DpYt_U0HMfD7qCeUHLhOqlGD3K_E&playerId=2690039553884100663&playerMode=embedded" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff" scale="noScale" wmode="window" salign="TL" > </embed>[/flash][/center]

Maybe he isnt the best in the world, but he's pretty darn good!!

Plus, he's got dance moves too! Dance moves!!! Cantona cant DANCE!!!!!

I like Jay Jay so much and regret he is not part of the best african award selection. To me He is still better than some most talked about players like Drogba. I also agree with u spikelord that Eto'o will always bow to Okocha for the fact that he is an African and Africans respect age. Where it not for this reason, Eto'o is very far from Okocha. The difference is clear. Remember Eto'o is the only two places behind the world's best player

Hello Spikelord.You have made an interesting point on Eto bowing to Okocha .10 Years of age difference between Okocha and Eto is not 10hrs nor 10 days but enough reason in African tradition for Eto to Bow to Okocha.Objectively you and even Okocha is aware Eto is a football Guru and this is the reciprocal of the respect.

I'm in support of post 57 and against post7. U simply dont need to tell Jay jay what to do when he gets on the field, the guy simply remains the best ball dribbler of his era and one of the best fooballer of all time and the best footballer ever to come out of Africa. U simply cannot compare Okocha to any palyer in the world. Their are no players in Okochas league and the guy is so good they named him twice. Every single player in the world will simply give okocha respect for the way he handles the round object and who told u okocha cannot single handedly change a game. I've got several examples.
But it still saddens me that he has no major achievements to his name which i think results from him going to the wrong clubs when he started. B

I'm in support of post 57 and against post7. U simply dont need to tell Jay jay what to do when he gets on the field, the guy simply remains the best ball dribbler of his era and one of the best fooballer of all time and the best footballer ever to come out of Africa. U simply cannot compare Okocha to any palyer in the world. Their are no players in Okochas league and the guy is so good they named him twice. Every single player in the world will simply give okocha respect for the way he handles the round object and who told u okocha cannot single handedly change a game. I've got several examples.
But it still saddens me that he has no major achievements to his name which i think results from him going to the wrong clubs when he started AND I THINK HE HAS NO LUCK. But JAY STILL REMAINS ONE OF THE BEST FOOTBALLERS THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN AND REMAINS THE ONLY PLAYER IN HIS OWN LEAGUE NO CONTENDER

well ummm.okocha has done much better than eto'o have so at least he should've been in the fisrt three for once before now.

hello,i think people that okocha just have something personal against him,some said his not as good as the ronaldo,ronaldinho,owen,lampard,zinedine etc,first u guys forget that they all play from defferent positions,secondly all this has got to do with votes from coaches around the world ,so its all about polities.okocha has been a good player for the past 16years he has been in europe ,to start up with the ronaldinho the whole world is talking about now was okocha's boy in psg ,even till now.if u bring any player to stand in front of and world to tell the world he is better than okocha ,i dont think anyone will come out.presently there some players i can compare with okocha .i think all okocha carer has been a success because he has always gone to small team and at the end of the day he turns them into a big team e.g bolton today without jay jay they would have been no where ,for those of u that hate him ,well thats ur business he has played and made money and all he needs in life ,u guys just wish u were in his shoes ,sorry u cant be reconised in the world .b4 i go ,for those of u that hate him sorry he has made it already and u cant stop him .goodbye to ur faces.