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Former Nigerian football captain Jay-Jay Okocha has opened up about his early experience with racism after moving to Germany, revealing that he “never knew” he was black until he arrived in the European country.
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The football legend made the remarks during an interview, where he reflected on how racism shaped his mentality and inspired the dazzling dribbling skills that made him one of the most entertaining footballers of his generation.
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Okocha recalls first experience with racism
Speaking about his move to Germany at the start of his European football career, Okocha said the level of racism he encountered came as a shock.
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“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.”
He continued: “I never knew I was black until I got to Germany.”
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According to the former Super Eagles captain, after signing his first professional contract, he wondered how he could legally respond to the discrimination he experienced.
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“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?”
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Rather than responding with anger, Okocha said he chose to let his football do the talking.
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“So I figured out that the only way is to keep dribbling. So I started dribbling them.”
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He jokingly added: “I said, I will dribble them so that some people will chop grass.”
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Dribbling became his response
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During the interview, the host praised Okocha’s famous dribbling ability and recalled a memorable moment when a coach reportedly reacted dramatically to one of his performances.
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The host said: “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.”
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Okocha acknowledged the story, replying: “Wow. I heard about that as well.”
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The interview ended with the host describing the former midfielder as “one of the coolest.”
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Social media reactions
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Okocha’s remarks quickly attracted reactions online, with many users discussing racism and praising the football icon for turning painful experiences into motivation.
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Michael wrote: “That’s a powerful realization. Sometimes places really highlight things we weren’t even aware of.”
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Vincent commented: “Lol, even if ràc!sm left the rest of the world, it can never leave that place. A lot of people have complained about the same thing over the time. That’s very bad.”
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Mr Ezzy shared: “Yes oo, he was right, the reason I decided not to travel to Germany. It’s highly racial country.”
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Ochuoga wrote: “Germany is immense. I remembered people closing their windows because a black kid was passing by.”
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Precious added: “Okocha turning racist abuse into fuel to embarrass defenders is exactly why fans loved him — but it’s a sad indictment that ‘get good enough to shut them up’ was ever the only recourse available.”
Watch the video here…
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