Former Newcastle United and Aston Villa right-back, Habib Beye, said ex-Nigerian international, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, would have won one or two Ballons d’Or has did his former teammate, Ronaldinho.
The French-born Beye was an academy player at Paris Saint-Germain [PSG] when Okocha, alongside Barcelona legend Ronaldinho, played at the club before the Super Eagles legend made a move to the Premier League.
Okocha played for Bolton Wanderers, Qatar SC and Hull City at the Premier League
Ronaldinho, on the other hand, swapped Paris Saint-Germain [PSG] for Barcelona where he won the FIFA World Player of the Year awards twice in 2004 and 2005 and was a Ballon d’Or winner in 2005.
Now, Beye, a retired Senegal international is of the opinion that Okocha did not win the Ballon d’Or because he did not play for a top club with the exception of PSG.
“Okocha is one of the great players who have not been able to play in big clubs,” Beye said on Team sur Canal Plus via afriquesports.net.
“Ronaldinho could have had two to four Ballons d’or. Jay Jay Okocha is such a talent and could have been too.”
Okocha was a leading figure for Nigeria at the 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups and played in two Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1994 and 2000.
