I Still Pay My Brother for Taking His Name ‘Jay-Jay’ — Okocha

Super Eagles legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has revealed that he still jokingly pays royalties to his elder brother for the famous nickname that became synonymous with his illustrious football career.

Okocha explained that the nickname originated during his childhood in Enugu, where he and his brothers regularly played football on the streets.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Super Eagles captain said several boys in his neighbourhood were called Austin, making it difficult for people to distinguish between them.

According to him, his friends began identifying him as “Austin Jay-Jay’s brother” because his elder brother, Emmanuel, was known as Jay-Jay.

“I think it started in the neighbourhood where we grew up; all of us were footballers because we had no other toys. We were just on the street playing, and my two brothers played as well,” Okocha said.

He explained that the presence of several Austins in the neighbourhood led to the nickname being attached to him.

“We had few Austins then, so to identify which Austin is which, they started calling me Austin Jay-Jay’s brother. So from there, Austin Jay-Jay,” he added.

The nickname eventually followed Okocha into professional football and became one of the most recognisable names in African football.

Okocha said he later decided to formally adopt “Jay-Jay” because people outside Nigeria often struggled to pronounce his birth name, Augustine.

“Some people were struggling to pronounce my name Augustine, so Jay-Jay was a lot easier, so I said I might as well adopt the name and I put it in my passport. Officially it’s mine,” he explained.

Despite officially making the nickname part of his identity, Okocha jokingly acknowledged that his elder brother still deserved some compensation for introducing him to the name.

“I still pay royalties to my brother. It’s like he brought the good omen,” he said.

Okocha went on to enjoy a distinguished career in European football, representing clubs including Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers.

Renowned for his exceptional dribbling, creativity and flair, Okocha became one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers.

His nickname, “Jay-Jay,” ultimately became inseparable from his identity and remains one of the most recognisable names in African football.