8 facts you didn't know about Jay Jay Okocha as he turns 48

Augustine 'Jay Jay' Okocha is considered to be one of Nigeria’s biggest export. Born on this day in 1973, he shot to stardom with his impressive performance in the 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss against Ivory Coast in May 1993.

He continued it with another superb performance alongside Nwankwo Kanu at the Atlanta Olympics. With an AFCON victory to his belt, Okocha has represented Nigeria in four World Cups and seven AFCON tournaments.

He has played in some of the biggest leagues in the world including the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, and the French Ligue 1.

As we celebrate the life of this legend, we cast the spotlight on 5 facts you probably didn’t know about him.

1. The name Jay-Jay was actually passed down from his elder brother James, who started playing football first.

2. He started playing for Enugu Rangers in 1990.

3. His foray in Europe began when he accompanied his friend Binebi Numa to training in Borussia Neunkirchen, a Division 2 club in Germany. He asked to join in the training and impressed by his skills, the coach offered him a contract.

4. He made his debut appearance for the Super Eagles in a 1993 World Cup qualifying match against Cote d’Ivoire.

5. He became a citizen of Turkey when he played for Fenerbahce. His Turkish name is Muhammet Yavuz.

6. During the course of his career, he scored 99 goals in 529 appearances for clubs and the country.

7. Okocha never won the African Player of Year award, despite coming second twice. He is arguably the best player never to win the award.

8. He won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award two years in a row.