Super Eagles legend Austin Jay Jay Okocha has finally opened up on being snubbed by CAF throughout his extraordinary career.
Jay-Jay Okocha is a legendary figure in African football.
Despite never playing for top European clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona, Okocha's incredible skills, goals, and assists made him a household name.
His impressive career with the Super Eagles saw him win the AFCON title in 1994 and an Olympic Gold Medal in 1996.
Okocha's brilliance has earned him a place among the greatest African players of all time, with former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand recently praising him as one of the game's finest.
However, despite the accolades and respect from peers, Okocha has one unfulfilled dream - winning the African Footballer of the Year award. Despite being nominated three times, his best finish was second place.
In a recent Q&A session, Okocha looked back on his career and shared his biggest regret. When asked about his greatest regret, Okocha said:
"I've had an amazing career, and I don't want to sound greedy, but I regret not winning the African Footballer of the Year award.
"I thought I did enough to win it, especially since I won the BBC African Player of the Year award three times in a row.
"It wasn't a fluke that I won those awards, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
Despite failing to win the award, Okocha undoubtedly opened the doors for the new generation of Nigerian players like Victor Osimhen and demola Lookman who have won the coveted award, and there will certainly be more to come.
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