Posted by Chinenye on Tue 18th Aug, 2026 - tori.ng
Two Super Eagles legends have opened up about the unexpected stories behind the names that became famous across world football.
(Jay Jay Okocha, John Obi Mikel. Photo Credit: facebook/OnejoblessBoy)
Former Super Eagles captains Jay Jay Okocha and John Obi Mikel have explained the circumstances surrounding their name changes during a podcast appearance.
Okocha recounted that his nickname originated in his childhood neighbourhood where he and his brothers played street football as their primary recreation.
To distinguish between multiple individuals named Austin in the area, he became known as "Austin Jay Jay's brother," a reference to his younger brother James, the actual Jay Jay.
As the shortened version stuck, Okocha noted that when he travelled internationally, people struggled to pronounce his given name, Augustine, making the simpler "Jay Jay" more practical.
He subsequently formalised the name in his official documentation.
Mikel's name transformation occurred during an Under-17 tournament when his submitted roster name of Michael was printed as Mikel on his jersey.
Following an impressive performance in the competition, he opted to retain the alternative spelling, finding it more suitable than the original.
He subsequently updated his official records to reflect the change.
“I still pay royalties to my brother for taking his name” — Football Legend, Jay Jay Okocha pic.twitter.com/O4u8LTss9D
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) August 17, 2026