Former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha has stated that Nigerian players tend to achieve greater success in Europe than their South African counterparts because they are driven by stronger ambition.
Nigeria has produced more successful footballers in European leagues over the years, and that trend continues today with several Nigerian stars playing across the continent’s top competitions.
In contrast, many players from the South Africa national football team mainly feature in the country’s domestic South African Premier Division, while the Nigeria national football team boast players competing in some of Europe’s biggest leagues.
Players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Calvin Bassey and Akor Adams are all playing in top European leagues, further highlighting Nigeria’s growing influence in European football.
What Okocha said
Former Nigerian international Okocha, also enjoyed a successful playing career across top European leagues during his playing days.
The 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist played for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League, enjoying widespread recognition during his days.
However, he believes that South African players feel more comfortable in their domestic environment compared to Nigerians, who love to take on new challenges.
“First of all, you must have the desire to become the best version of yourself,” Okocha said.
“For you to make a name for yourself globally, you must get out of your comfort zone, and this is the problem. It is my opinion that South African players are too comfortable at home. That drive is not really there.
“But we Nigerians, we’re very ambitious people. We like to challenge ourselves. Of course, when you come to a country like Germany, you have to try to socialise and understand the culture of the people”, the former Bolton star added.
“You have to be willing to learn the language and just learn in general. It’s a lot easier if you have people who mentor you, but it’s also about how you present yourself. If you show that you’re willing to learn, then your stay will be a lot easier. My advice is just to be open and make sure you have that hunger and desire to become the best version of yourself.”
