- Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha shared his first experience with racism after moving to Germany for his football career.
- He had not considered his race before relocating to Europe.
- The discrimination he faced in Germany significantly altered his perspective on race.
Nigerian football icon Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha has shared a deeply personal story about his first encounter with racism after relocating to Germany to begin his professional football career.
Speaking during a recent interview, the former Super Eagles captain revealed that he had never thought about his race until he arrived in Europe, where he was confronted with discrimination that changed his perspective.
Reflecting on his early days in Germany, Okocha admitted that the level of racism he experienced came as a surprise.
“You know, this is a true story. When I first moved to Europe, it was Germany that I went to. And the rate of racism was too high then.
“I never knew I was black until I got to Germany.”
The football legend explained that after signing his first professional contract, he struggled with how to respond to the treatment he received without resorting to violence or breaking the law.
“When I got the opportunity to sign a deal and I signed, I was like, how do I pay these people back? You know, what do I do that is legal to show that I’m also a racist?”
Instead of allowing bitterness to consume him, Okocha said he chose to express himself through his performances on the pitch.
“So I figured out that the only way is to keep dribbling. So I started dribbling them.”
With a smile, he added another memorable remark:
“I said, I will dribble them so that some people will chop grass.”
During the conversation, the interviewer praised Okocha’s extraordinary dribbling skills and recalled a famous story involving one of his coaches, who reportedly joked that failing to score after an impressive run would have ended his career.
“I think at some point during that game, I saw your coach do this. You know what he said? He said after the game, had it been I didn’t score that, that would have been my last game.”
Reacting to the story, Okocha simply replied:
“Wow. I heard about that as well.”
The interview concluded with the host describing the Nigerian football great as “one of the coolest.”
Following the interview, Okocha’s comments sparked widespread discussion across social media, with many fans applauding the football legend for transforming painful experiences with racism into motivation that helped define one of the most entertaining careers in football history.
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