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Former Super Eagles captain, Augustine Okocha, has recalled how his famous solo goal against former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn transformed his career while he was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt.
Okocha said the goal, in which he dribbled past Kahn before finding the net, was the moment he gained widespread recognition beyond Germany.
Speaking on the Obi-Wan podcast on Monday, the Nigerian football legend said Kahn was enjoying one of his best seasons at the time, shortly before his move to Bayern Munich.
“It was Oliver Kahn, and he was having his best season,” Okocha said.
“That goal changed my life. That was when I gained recognition outside Germany,” he added.
The goal, which came before the era of social media, was widely replayed on television across Europe and became one of the defining moments of Okocha’s career.
Okocha explained that he did not deliberately hold on to the ball for so long, saying he was simply looking for the right opportunity to shoot after repeatedly finding defenders in his path.
“I didn’t mean to hold onto it that long. Whenever I want to shoot, I see somebody in front, so I was just trying to find the right moment to shoot,” he said.
He recalled that his manager at Frankfurt later joked that his future in the starting line-up depended on the goal going in.
“The saving grace was it did go in, because even the manager told me, had he been there, I didn’t score that goal, as long as he remains manager of this team, you will never play again,” Okocha said.
The former midfielder said he has since met Kahn but has never discussed the famous goal with him, joking about the German goalkeeper’s intimidating personality.
“I’ve met him, but you don’t want to discuss that. He’s a big lad, and he never smiles,” Okocha said.
Okocha rose to prominence at Eintracht Frankfurt after beginning his European career with a lower-tier German club.
He later played for Fenerbahçe, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers, establishing himself as one of Africa’s most celebrated attacking midfielders.
