CAF, Ligue 1, PSG and Frankfurt celebrate Austin Okocha at 53

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, and Eintracht Frankfurt have all issued birthday tributes to Nigerian football legend Austin Okocha. The former midfielder celebrated his 53rd birthday on Friday.

CAF, where Okocha serves as an ambassador, described him as one of the smoothest players in the history of the game. Eintracht Frankfurt also recognised their former player, while Ligue 1 posted a tribute to the Nigerian icon.

Okocha's career included a significant period in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt after joining in December 1991. During his time there, he famously scored a goal against Karlsruher SC that involved dribbling past multiple players before beating goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. That strike was named the 1993 Goal of the Year by Sportschau viewers and received Goal of the Season honours from various football magazines.

Following Frankfurt's relegation, Okocha moved to Fenerbahçe for roughly £1 million. He scored 30 goals in 62 games for the Turkish side, often utilizing his trademark direct free kicks. In 1998, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for approximately £14 million, a fee that made him the most expensive African player at that time. During his four years in Paris, he made 84 appearances and scored 12 goals, while also mentoring a young Ronaldinho. He helped PSG secure the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where he contributed five goals to their joint championship win.

After leaving France following the 2002 World Cup, Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer. He scored seven goals to help the club avoid relegation and later captained the side to the 2004 Football League Cup final. His impact at Bolton was recognised in 2017 when he was voted the greatest player to have played at the Reebok/Macron Stadium.