Former Cameroon striker, Samuel Eto’o, has insisted that Nigerian legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha was as talented as Brazilian great Ronaldinho Gaúcho.
Eto’o has expressed his displeasure that Okocha did not receive as much accolades and described it as “the injustice of world football”.
Okocha enjoyed a successful career spanning almost two decades and won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 with the Super Eagles.
He was also instrumental to Nigeria winning Africa’s first Olympic gold at Atlanta ’96.
In 2004, the former Bolton Wanderers midfielder made Pele’s list of 125 living legends of the sport, one of only four African players — alongside Abedi Pele, George Weah, and Roger Milla — to make the cut.
Okocha also mentored Ronaldinho when the Brazilian was finding his feet in European football at Paris Saint-Germain
But while Ronaldinho went on to win two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or, Okocha never came close to claiming any of those global honours before calling time on his career in 2008.
“It’s the injustice of world football,” Eto’o said, as per Onvoitout.
“What we saw Ronaldinho do a few years ago, Jay-Jay (Okocha) had done 10 or 15 years before and he never had the recognition of others. And that’s what happens when it comes to Africa.”
