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 ...

Update on El-Hadary Transfer

Last week, we told you about Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary's transfer from Al Ahly to FC Sion. Things weren't going too well.

Al Ahly didn't want to let him go. FC Sion said they had a deal in place. The usual transfer battle being played out, this time with Africa's best goalkeeper in the middle.

Well we finally have some resolution.

El-Hadary is back in Egypt with Al Ahly.

The best goalkeeper in the recent African Cup of Nations signed a four-year contract with Swiss Super League club FC Sion earlier this season without the approval of his current employers Al Ahly which caused shockwaves in Egypt and a huge dispute between the two clubs.

The Swiss were hoping that the player could move on the basis of a landmark ruling by world sport's highest court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the Egyptians weren't having any of it.

So the keeper was introduced by FC Sion in a press conference on Thursday morning. But today, El-Hadary confirmed his return to Cairo.

"I made a stupid mistake and I decided to return to Al Ahly" the 35-year-old said.

"I talked to a lawyer and understood that I stand no chance of moving to Sion without the approval of Al Ahly" El-Hadary admitted.

"I was motivated by the move to Europe but I hope that the Ahly officials will understand my situation."

The Cairo based club refused to comment on the situation but confirmed that El-Hadary will be meeting with the club's football committee before taking any action.

Updates to come. Sticky situation. Can't blame the guy for wanting to go to Europe, but maybe he should have read the fine print first.