I Failed Woefully as Delta FA Chairman – Jay Jay Okocha Opens Up

Nigerian football legend, Jay Jay Okocha, has spoken candidly about his tenure as chairman of the Delta State Football Association (DSFA), describing it as a learning experience that ultimately ended in disappointment.

Okocha stated this during a recent interview with Sports Zone on Lagos Talks FM, reflecting on his time in the role, which he held from 2015 until his resignation.

“I failed woefully as Delta FA chairman. Didn’t complete my tenure, I walked away,” he admitted.

Okocha cited a toxic work environment and conflicting opinions with colleagues as major factors in his decision to step down. “What I saw there was not what I expected. The place was not conducive for me to work. The people I worked with had different opinions, and the best thing for me to do was to walk away, which I did.”

Despite his disappointment, Okocha took full responsibility for his failure, stating, “I will be the first to raise my hand and say I did not achieve anything as Delta football chairman.” He also acknowledged the broader structural challenges and corruption that hinder progress in Nigerian football.

“A lot of things must be in place because I do not think the structure would allow people like us to succeed. That is the honest truth. The level of corruption in all sectors of Nigeria is too much. And if you are always around people who always have motives, it will not work,” Okocha said.

Okocha’s successor, Kenneth Nwaomucha, took over as the substantive chairman of DSFA in 2020.