Austin Jay-Jay Okocha proved that he has not lost touch with football when he scored a hat trick at a charity match in the UK.
The match was organised by Bolton Wanderers, his former football club, to raise funds for the club’s supporters and community trusts. The old players were divided into teams that were captained by John McGinlay and Tony Kelly, also former players of the club. The final scoreline of the match was 6-2.
The 42-year-old attacking midfielder is known for his dribbling skills. He made his debut appearance for Nigeria in the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier match against Ivory Coast.
Jay Jay was named captain of the Nigerian national team in 2002 following the departure of Sunday Oliseh and Finidi Goerge.
Jay Jay won the award for Nigerian footballer of the year seven different times. He also had different awards.
Enugu Rangers was the only home-based team he played for before joining international teams like Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, Paris St-Germain (PSG), Bolton Wanderers and Hull City.
Okocha retired from professional football in 2006 after the Egypt Nations Cup, where Nigeria was knocked out in a semi-final match against Ivory Coast.