‘We don’t have superstars’- Okocha says current Super Eagles yet to surpass ex-players achievements

Former Nigeria captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has explained why the current Super Eagles team are yet to match the achievements of the Nigerian teams he played for. 

The current Super Eagles have been receiving plaudits for their performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, with the team only two wins away from lifting a fourth title for Nigeria. 

Also, the current set of players is the best-talented group the team has produced in recent years. But despite that, Okocha believes the current players are yet to match the achievements of the Nigerian teams he represented. 

Okocha was an ever-present player for Nigeria during his playing career. The former Bolton Wanderers star was one of the key players in Nigeria’s golden generation squad that won the AFCON in 1994 and reached the second round of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. 

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star was also part of the Dream Team that won the gold medal in the men’s football event at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. 

Okocha was also a key player in the Super Eagles squad that won a silver and two bronze medals at AFCON 2000, 2002 and 2004, respectively. 

Having been a part of these great teams, Okocha believes the current Super Eagles players are yet to match the achievements of the teams he represented. 

In an interview with Arise TV, Okocha faulted the absence of superstars in the current team and also claimed they are not as talented as the players he played with. 

When asked what separates the current team from the team he played with, Okocha said: They have understood that they have to play to their strength. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have too many superstars in the team. They are stars in their own right, don’t get me wrong, but we are still remembered because they have not surpassed our achievements. They have not surpassed our talents,” Okocha added. 

While Okocha may be right, the current Super Eagles can prove the former Super Eagles captain wrong by winning AFCON 2023. 

Jose Peserio’s men are just two wins away from winning Nigeria’s fourth AFCON title.