Africa's Best Ever Player to Call it Quits?

Who is Africa's greatest ever player? This has always been a hotly contested issue.

I've attempted to answer that question many times before with no success.

Today, one of the candidates for Best African Player Ever said he's seeing the end of the road.

Hull City's Nigerian midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha says he is likely to retire from football at the end of the season.



The former Bolton star, 35, has started 10 games since joining the Tigers in September 2007 but wants to quit while he is still at the top of his game.

Okocha told BBC Radio Humberside: "I am just thinking until the end of this season. Who knows what will happen but now I think that will be me done. After Hull that is it, I feel that this is my last bus stop."

What? No MLS?

Okocha has ruled out staying in football immediately after retiring, and will instead concentrate on business commitments.

"I don't think I will go into coaching for now. I would like to try some other things, there are a lot of things to do and I will try to start a new life, a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it."

The midfielder said he would not turn his back on his homeland Nigeria if they were to ask for his help. Jay-Jay won 59 caps and scored eight goals for Nigeria in his international career.

He added: "If they need my help it wouldn't be nice of me to turn that down. I would be ready to come and help. I think now we need local indigenous people that have played the game and know what it takes to be a winner and people who have the same mentality as the players to take the players on and bring the best out of them."

And how ...

So to Jay-Jay, we say thanks. Your exploits will be long remembered ...