Nigerian football icon Augustine “Jay-Jay” Okocha has named Ghanaian legends Abedi Ayew “Pele” and Tony Yeboah among his top five greatest African players of all time.
Responding to a question on his ultimate list, the former Super Eagles captain ranked Abedi Pele second, just behind his number-one pick, Liberian superstar George Weah — the only African ever to win the Ballon d’Or. Okocha placed Tony Yeboah third, while positioning himself fourth and rounding off the list with Ivorian legend Didier Drogba in fifth.
Okocha, who turned 52 earlier this month, remains one of Africa’s most celebrated footballers. He lifted the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, played a starring role in their gold medal triumph at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and enjoyed an illustrious club career with Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe and Paris Saint-Germain, where he famously mentored Brazilian star Ronaldinho.
Both Ghanaian icons he selected were central figures in the Black Stars’ “Golden Generation” of the early 1990s.
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Abedi Pele guided Olympique Marseille to UEFA Champions League glory in 1993 and won the African Footballer of the Year award three times.
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Tony Yeboah established himself as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, winning back-to-back Bundesliga Golden Boots with Eintracht Frankfurt in 1993 and 1994 before becoming a cult hero at Leeds United, where he was voted Player of the Year in 1996.
As for Okocha’s top pick, George Weah dazzled for AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan, and later featured for Chelsea and Manchester City. His historic 1995 Ballon d’Or win remains unmatched by any other African player.
By including Abedi Pele and Yeboah in his elite list, Okocha has once again highlighted Ghana’s lasting legacy in African football history.
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