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Fans Knock Okocha Over €150m Claim

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Some fans have disagreed with former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha after he said he would have cost around €150m in today’s transfer market with the general opinion that his dribbling displays didn’t end often enough in goals.

The legendary midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain from Turkish giants Fenerbahce for a then-African transfer record fee of £14m. The move to PSG was finalised following his impressive performance for Nigeria at the France 1998 FIFA World Cup.

In an interview with Turkish outfit, hurriyet, the 49-year-old explained why he believed he would have attracted such a high transfer fee.

“They paid £106m for their defensive midfielder (Enzo Fernandez) Chelsea. To a player from Portugal. I would have cost around €150m, my assists, dribbles… World football started to pay a lot of money. Such would be the numbers of players of this quality.”

READ ALSO: World Cup: Jay Jay Okocha Predicts Winner Of England Vs Senegal Clash

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After spending four years at PSG, Okocha joined Premier League club Bolton and led them to the final of the League Cup in 2004 where they lost 2-1 to Middlesbrough.

Fans however took to social media to knock the 1996 Olympic gold medallist’s comments as they don’t believe he would have attracted much interest from clubs if he played in modern football.

Tico Benson compared Okocha to Brazil legend, Ronaldinho Gaucho writing, “I really doubt that because you do more entertainment on the pitch rather than create chances for your team or even score more goals. Ronaldinho combined it all. Hence, he was rated more.”

READ ALSO: AFCON 2021: Jay Jay Okocha Names One Player Nigeria Didn’t Miss

Another user with the username @Abriyin_ believes it is difficult to say Okocha would be worth that much when other Africans played at bigger clubs and won bigger club titles, “It’s difficult to defend a skilful player who played for the likes of Bolton and Hull City when Kanu and co killing it at Arsenal and Ajax even winning FA cup with Portsmouth.”

He also compared Okocha to French winger Allan Saint-Maximin who has also been criticised for showboating and not contributing enough in the final third, “Prime Okocha and Saint-Maximin are in the same category. Teams look for more than just skills and showboating.”

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Twitter influencer Bayo Otedola compared him to Japanese winger Karou Mitoma whose major contribution is also dribbling and cost Brighton £2.6m, “You and Mitoma, I no sabi una difference.”

A Nigerian named Rayo believes he was misled by the stories he heard and video compilations, “Only if you knew how I bragged about this bros back then when I was little based on compilation videos I watched and what we heard about him. Later discovered he was an unserious footballer and I felt scammed. How was I picking this bros over prime Ronaldinho and co.”

READ ALSO: 2022 World Cup: Nigeria’s Jay-Jay Okocha Gets New Appointment

Duke Austine thinks that Okocha did not do enough to be regarded as a legend, “Dribbling without purpose doesn’t make JayJay a legend talk less of class.”

Twitter user, @Instructor2Gym agreed with Austine’s comments saying, “End product zero. He won’t maintain a high value after two seasons.”

@GodsDawta1 also criticised his lack of finishing in the final third, “Big cap sir. Football has moved pass just dribbling and wasting the ball. Whats the end product of the dribbles is what matters. Okocha was good at dribbling and wasting the ball.”

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Joel Morgan wrote, “I laughed hard. How much was CR7 sold from Juventus to Man U and Messi from Barca to PSG that Jay Jay feels he would have been worth €150m in today’s market. Even if we have to go back to time at his peaks in Bolton, he was never close to the most expensive player bought to EPL.”

Danielson believes Mikel Obi and other African players who didn’t cost close to that had better careers than Okocha, “With no end products abeg na lie and besides Samuel Eto’o, Drogba, Kanu and even Mikel had a better career than you.”

Okocha finished his club career with six trophies, 16 individual honours, 101 goals and 57 assists in 492 appearances.

 

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Why We Lost Against Mali – Finidi George

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Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George has provided insights into why his team lost to the Eagles of Mali in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.

Super Eagles interim coach, Finidi George has provided insights into why his team lost to the Eagles of Mali in an international friendly match held in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Super Eagles suffered a 2-0 loss to Mali on Tuesday, with Finidi attributing the defeat to costly errors made by his team.

The Enyimba gaffer rued the missed chances in the game, but applauded the boys for their dominant performance.

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Finidi George said, “It was not a bad game. Good intensity. We created a couple of chances, but we could not score. And in games like this, if you don’t score, and make mistakes, you will be punished. Lost one. We were not outplayed.

“In the first game as well, we did so well. I would have loved a different result, but that’s not the case. If you look at the performance of the players, it is commendable.”

The Super Eagles will now shift their attention to the June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.

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Messi Reveals When He’ll Retire From Football

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Iconic Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi, recently discussed retirement on the Big Time Podcast, shedding light on his future plans as he navigates the twilight of his career.

Since joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Messi has contributed 16 goals and seven assists in 19 appearances across competitions.

However, the 36-year-old has also grappled with injury issues, leading to concerns about his longevity in the sport.

Reflecting on his retirement plans, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner emphasized his self-awareness, acknowledging that he evaluates his performances critically.

READ ALSO: Messi Hits 500 League Goals As Inter Miami Cruise Past Orlando

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Messi expressed his readiness to step away from the game when he feels he can no longer perform at his best or derive enjoyment from playing, regardless of his age.

“I am very self critical of myself, I know when I’m good, when I’m bad, when I play well and when I play badly. When I feel it’s time to take that step, I will take it without thinking about age,” Messi said.

“I know that moment I feel I am no longer ready to perform, that I am no longer enjoying myself or helping my teammates.”

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Brazil’s Gabigol Handed Two-year Ban For Anti-doping ‘Fraud’

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Flamengo’s international forward Gabriel Barbosa was suspended for two years on Monday for attempted fraud during a doping test, a Brazilian sports court said.

Known as Gabigol, the 27-year-old Brazilian was alleged to have been uncooperative during a surprise doping test at club headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The punishment, which can be appealed, is backdated to April 8 last year, when the events occurred.

He failed to comply with the schedule, disrespected the doping officers and refused to obey instructions, local media said.

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“The aforementioned athlete was tried today by the Full Court of Sports Anti-Doping and, by majority, it was decided that a violation of the anti-doping rule of fraud had occurred,” the court said in a statement sent to AFP.

Gabigol subsequently hit back on social media, saying “I never tried to obstruct or defraud any test.”

I am confident I will be found innocent at the highest court,” he added.

Flamengo said in a statement it would support its player and assist with his appeal “because there was no type of fraud”.

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On the testing day, Gabigol’s teammates underwent testing in the morning while he ignored a request to be present and attended after lunchtime, according to the accusation.

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When he finally arrived to be tested, he reportedly became upset because an officer escorted him to the bathroom.

Furthermore, he did not respect the sample collection protocol, according to the accusation.

A key figure in Flamengo’s 2019 domestic league and Copa Libertadores titles, Gabigol has consistently denied having tried to cheat in the test.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Nigerian Lady Set To Drive From London To Lagos

“The Flamengo player has confirmed that the test has been carried out and the result was negative,” his lawyer said in December, when the allegations first surfaced.

“In view of this information, there is nothing that could compromise or violate the protocol,” the lawyer added.

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Gabigol had disappointing spells at Portugal’s Benfica as well as at Inter Milan in Italy having come through Santos’ academy, before joining Flamengo in 2019.

His return to form for Flamengo earned him call-ups to the Brazil squad and he made the last of his 18 international appearances in January 2022.

Gabigol’s contract with Flamengo expires in December.

 

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