Every team needs one.
You can have the best team in the world, who have amazing chemistry and fight for each other, but without that one truly exceptional player who can decide a game on his own, then your team is never really going to go that far. Except for Greece in 2004, but that is an anomaly which we will never see again in our lifetime.
For anyone who loves the sport of football at its core. Taking away the lights, glamour, Ballon D'ors, and hype. Those that play football on the streets, in their bare feet or on the road, then you would have known and appreciated the unique talents of Okocha. Just like Ronaldinho, he was unlike any other footballer and he did things on a professional pitch that no other player would even dare attempt, let alone be able to execute. Those that saw Okocha play, know his name and all say the same thing:
"So good, they just had to name him twice."
The Nigerian team of the mid to late 90's were a great team. Despite never winning the World Cup, the world remembers them and still light up when you mention "Super Eagles." As good as that team was with the talents of Okechukwu, Finidi, Kanu, Amokachi, Amunike to name a few, Okocha was that player that stoodout. He was the one who took the unique dribbling skill all Nigerians were born with and embellished it. Even at a meager height, without being very strong or fast; his skill was unmatched and there will never again be another player quite like him.
When I say the "Next Okocha", I do not mean that term literally. Instead, I am talking about Nigeria needing that one truly great player that can inspire the team. Maradona for Argentina, Ronaldo for Brazil, Zidane for France.
Ever since Okocha retired, which was a very sad day, Nigerians have been waiting patiently for the day when someone can really lead and define the team in the way Jay Jay did. It's now 2015, and Nigeria are still searching with the current "Super" Eagles looking more like a pack of confused hyenas who struggle to beat Swaziland. Yes...Swaziland.
That player that Nigeria was looking for was meant to be Obi Mikel. Oh yes, that same Obi Mikel who is allergic to making forward passes or scoring goals. Before he decided to move to Chelsea, away from United, he was to be the next big thing. The attacking midfielder, with great vision and passing who would form the core of Nigeria's future. That unfortunately failed to pan out as Mourinho did not see him as an attack-minded player, and instead shoved him back in the defensive position. Gradually over seasons, you saw all the talents of Mikel getting stripped away and just see him become merely a role-player, a cog in the large wheel that was the Chelsea machine. The worst thing is Mikel never said a word. He didn't care that he wasn't being played in his preferred position. All that mattered to him was that he was in London, earning lots of money and he was winning trophies.
That's why the less times I have to mention him, the better it will be for all concerned.
Both Kelechi and Nwakali are not Okocha and will never be as good as Okocha. But that's fine by me. It was a privilege to have seen Okocha play, just like Ronaldo, Zidane and Messi as these players don't come around too often. I'm not asking for the new generation to be these rarities, I'm just asking them to help be the star of a quality Nigerian team and take the lead and carry the team on their shoulders. Then they can make their own legend, and even surpass Okocha to an extent.
As good as Jay Jay was, he never really had that winner's mentality, and wasn't able to inspire the team in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups where he was needed the most to lift the team. Hopefully, this new crew can succeed where Okocha failed.
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HH
