Okocha vs. Kanu: Who was better?
Hello everyone.
A quick(ish) blog today on a subject that everyone (don’t even lie) has ruminated upon at one time in their lives. In England, there is a long-running debate on who the better footballer is: Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard. As you can imagine, the responses are split along the lines of club affiliation for the most part: the Chelsea faithful favour Lampard, while the Anfield crowd lean toward their Kop hero.
Bringing this home, we have all wondered: who was better, Kanu or Jay-Jay Okocha.
Kanu was a languid, graceful forward, at his best as a second striker with a great eye for a pass and excellent movement. Okocha was a brash, fearless ball of genius on two legs, capable of stunning improvisation.
Kanu embodied the composure and poise of a ballerina, Okocha the dilettantish brilliance of a rock-band drummer.
The bare facts favour the former Arsenal, Ajax and Inter player: two African Player of the Year gongs, in addition to being the first Nigerian (along with Finidi George) to win the UEFA Champions League.
By contrast, Okocha’s career is best captured as a collage of brilliant moments. His move to PSG in 1999 made him the most expensive African footballer at that time, and the Parisian club were the highest-profile club he turned out for. He never did manage an African Player of the Year award, and while some feel aggrieved about this (for good reason too. Hadji? Seriously?), it in some ways sums up this brilliant individual.
In terms of ability, there is no denying Jay-Jay was superior. Multiple FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho marvelled at him while he was in the French capital, and his highlight-reel humiliation of Oliver Kahn while at Eintracht Frankfurt is one for the ages. However, trickery with the ball alone is not enough, else a certain Kerlon (he of the famed ‘seal dribble’) would be dominating world football presently.
Kanu was capable of the seeming impossible as well, as Chelsea learnt to their detriment in 1999. Witness also his spur-of-the-moment flick, spin and finish past Dida at the 1996 Olympics in the epochal 4–3 victory over Brazil.
It would be too easy to dismiss Okocha based on titles won, but that discounts the fact that team victories are precisely that: more about the team than the individual. Also, when it comes to performances on the international stage, Jay-Jay certainly has more to point to, having been part of the 1994 Nations Cup-winning side. He also inspired the Super Eagles’ charge a decade later, one which was halted by Zied Jaziri’s diving antics in the 2004 edition.
Kanu, on the other hand, never managed a goal in five Africa Nations Cup editions, a befuddling statistic considering Nigeria got to at least the semi-final stage in four of those five tournaments.
Well, here’s my view for what it’s worth: Kanu was the better player. My decision is best captured by legendary AC Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi, who incidentally has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons.
The European Cup-winning manager explained the distinction between great footballers and great players by a concept he described as the “subtle sensitivity of football”
[caption id=”attachment_143" align=”aligncenter” width=”577"]
The subtle touch of ‘Papilo’ — ‘The Butterfly’[/caption]
“You see, strength, passion, technique, athleticism, all of these are very important,” he acceded. “But they are a means to an end, not an end in itself. They help you reach your goal, which is putting your talent at the service of the team, and, by doing this, making both you and your team greater. So, in situations like that, I just have to say, he’s a great footballer, but perhaps not a great player.”
For all his natural ability, Okocha had as much of a tendency to frustrate as to excite. His display against Denmark at France ’98 was classic Jay-Jay, excellent individually at the detriment of the structure of the team. His litany of tricks and impudent flicks would have made great theatre if he wasn’t constantly leaving Sunday Oliseh swamped on the Dane’s attacking transitions.
This is why I consider Kanu a superior player. His ability to adapt to the needs of the team at different periods, his intelligence and decision-making at vital points in a game, stand him on a higher level. He had it in him to be pliable, whereas for so long Jay-Jay simply was what he was. It is no wonder he retired so young; once the mobility was gone, there was no point to Jay-Jay anymore.
It is perhaps why Okocha never made the move to a truly elite club. At his best, he was a bullfighter without a sword: there is only so long you can bait and evade the beast before the audience require you to finish it off.
Disagree with me? Then cast your vote on the poll below, and hurl abuse at me in the comments or on Twitter: @deldorisma. Thank you for reading!
P.S
I lied. This was not a quick one at all.
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