Super Eagles legend Augustine “Jay-Jay” Okocha has been presented with a special retroactive “Superior Player of the Match” award for his display in Nigeria’s 3–2 victory over Spain at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
In a video shared on his Instagram page on Thursday, the 52-year-old Okocha unveiled the silver trophy from a custom case.
“Hello, this is JJ Okocha. I’m about to unveil this special award being given to me by FIFA,” he said in the clip.
“It was given to me for winning the Superior Man of the Match in a World Cup game, Nigeria versus Spain 1998.
“Special thank you to Michelob ULTRA and Copa90 for this amazing recognition. I’m so honoured to receive it,” he added.
The award forms part of a collaborative initiative by Michelob ULTRA and football content platform Copa90 to retrospectively honour standout performances from World Cups before the official Player of the Match award was introduced in 2002.
Watch the video below:
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐎𝐤𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 Super Eagles legend “Jay-Jay” Okocha has been presented with a special retroactive “Superior Player of the Match” award for his display in Nigeria’s 3–2… pic.twitter.com/AmHhAK0TII Ogbu out for three months after surgery Ex-West Brom star wants Maja stay Ghana’s Partey denied entry to Canada for World Cup opener — Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) June 11, 2026
The organisers said they combed through archives to recognise deserving players across hundreds of matches.
On June 13, 1998, at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France, Okocha delivered a standout performance in a Group D match.
Although he did not score, the midfielder’s dribbling, vision, and creativity unsettled the Spanish defence, which featured players such as Fernando Hierro and Raúl.
Nigeria came from behind to secure a famous 3–2 victory, with goals from Mutiu Adepoju, an own goal, and a long-range strike from Sunday Oliseh.
The result helped the Super Eagles top their group, though they were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Denmark.
Okocha’s performance that day further cemented his status as one of Africa’s most gifted footballers and a global entertainer.
This latest honour comes as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, commences, though Super Eagles failed to qualify.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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Source: The Punch
