Okocha named among FIFA’s world best midfielders
Friday, May 15, 2009
Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, has made the world football governing body FIFA’s hall of fame following his inclusion in the world greatest midfielders.

In the report on FIFA Web site tagged ‘the great creators’ the retired mercurial Nigerian midfielder was listed among the notable old and new world playmakers like Waldyr Pereira popularly known as Didi, Zizinho that played for Brazil in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Listing the new generation players, the report noted: "More recently, the like of Zico, Socrates and Ronaldinho have carried the standard as pure playmakers for A Selecao. Elsewhere in South America, Uruguayans Enzo Francescoli and Alvaro Recoba, the slow-moving Colombian Carlos Valderrama, and Ecuador's Alex Aguinaga have all made their presence felt in the centre of the park.

"The like of Paul Gascoigne, Enzo Scifo, Fernando Redondo, Pep Guardiola, Michael Laudrup, Georgi Hagi, Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Boban and Zinedine Zidane have all made their mark. But by no means are the game's creators restricted to Europe and South America.

"Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha of Nigeria and Egyptian ace Mahmoud El Khatib have all proudly donned the No.10 jersey, as have Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan and recent practitioners like Cuauhtemoc Blanco in Mexico," it noted.

The report further added: "Despite a long and sparkling tradition of creative playmakers, the modern game has become more about expediency and collectivity than the orchestrations of an anointed few. Still, the like of Juan Roman Riquelme, Francesco Totti, Cesc Fabregas, Andrea Pirlo and Xavi keep the tradition of the old masters alive.

"One of the small cadre of current playmakers, Brazilian Alex of Fenerbahce had the final word in a recent interview with FIFA.com: "There's less space today than in the past and the focus is on fitness, but quality players can always find a way if they adapt."

loyeruope:

Congratulations, Okocha!
_{If only he had been more goal oriented early in his career!!}

landwin:

Why isn't kanu's name there?

Okocha has been very unlucky.
Naming him now adds nothing to his career,
He should completely put football behind
him and enjoy himself elsewhere.