HOW I CONFUSED A JOURNALIST, OKOCHA

Augustine Azuka “Jay-Jay” Okocha  a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder has recalled how a journalist almost embarrassed him in the early years of his career.

The football legend said his inability to speak fluent English almost got him embarrassed but he however turned the table around.

“Within the early 2000 of my football career, I was signed on to an English club after playing in German and French leagues.

“I wasn’t too fluent in expressing myself in proper English as my educational background was skewed.

“I am not the kind of man that believes in plenty talks of big big Oyibo English. I believe when you finish speaking that your plenty “fuune” and come into the pitch, I will dribble you very well on the pitch.

“I remember scoring hat-trick goals in one game and this fine English journalist rushed me with one big microphone and cameraman pointing everything on my face.

“He was like Jay Jay… your goal is one of a kind that has gotten so many who came into this arena flabagasted, kindly tell us how you took that shot from an incredible angle we couldn’t imagine.

“Mehn, man was just surprised so I had to take a deep breath to calm myself and I was like:

“Well I got the ball from behind, something just told me to just “Buru gawa until I gbaguru football where goal keeper Ti eh ah aka Nala”

“I walked away leaving him confuse.

“No be me Oyibo go shame” he said.

Jay Jay Okocha won 73 caps for the Nigeria national team between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players from Africa.