Nigerian football superstar Jai-Jay Okocha believes that African teams need to develop more passionate players to succeed at the World Cup. It has historically been difficult for African teams to reach the last four in this competition, and at the 2022 World Cup, Morocco became the only African team to reach the semi-finals. African teams have never won a World Cup, with Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal being the only African teams to make it past the round of 16.
Okocha, who has played in the World Cup for Nigeria, stressed the importance of inspiring the passion for football in African teams. He said that the upcoming World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain and Portugal in 2030, has created a significant opportunity for African countries to produce competitive players. Okocha also expressed concern about the current lack of individuality in African football.
He believes players are more focused on money than on improving their skills and being creative. He mentioned Victor Osimhen as the best African player at the moment, but pointed out that none of the top 10 best African players at the moment has the personality he had during the game. Overall, Okocha's comments highlighted the need for African teams to develop players with passion, personality and creativity to improve their chances of success in future World Cup competitions.