Editor's Blog
Jay-Jay Okocha was one of the most skilful players during his heyday and many still remember his superb goal against former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, sending the shot-stopper and three of his defenders multiple times to the floor before finishing with his left foot. Okocha's often outrageous skills inspired Bundesliga fans in the early 1990s. He later also starred for Paris Saint-Germain, serving as a mentor for the young Ronaldinho, before joining Bolton Wanderers and setting the English Premier League alight. He was also part of Nigeria's successful generation that won the 1994 African Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games in 1996. The African wizard was recently announced as the 11th member of the Bundesliga's Legends Network, and as part of this role and the German league's new digital partnership with Soccer Laduma, Jay-Jay Okocha will write a monthly column about Germany's top-flight in the Soccer Laduma newspaper. The scene is set, over to you, Jay-Jay… Hello, Soccer Laduma readers. Let me start with saying how excited I am about this new partnership between Africa's biggest football publication and the German Bundesliga. It was a great honour for me to play in the Bundesliga, and playing with such a fantastic team as Eintracht Frankfurt helped me and my development enormously. At the same time, it was a unique experience having such amazing fans, who always gave me such huge support. With these experiences to remember, I'm exceptionally proud to be able to represent this tremendous league and giving back to you, the fans. The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world, they definitely have the best youth system, and I'm keen to bring you more details about this amazing league. Let's chat a bit more about the current Bundesliga campaign. Bayern Munich, the German record champions, look destined to win another title, which would be their sixth in a row. They have once shown their class in the 6-0 win over struggling Bundesliga dinosaurs Hamburger SV. Sadly, it looks like Hamburg – the only founding member of the German league to have never been relegated – will go down this season barring a major miracle. But back to Bayern! Their dominance is a result of decades of superb work by the club, which now allows them the luxury of buying the best players in the league every year. But I feel the other clubs have to raise their game and find smart ways to catch up with Bayern again. These days, winning only the Bundesliga and no other title would almost be seen as a disappointment for the Bavarians. But Bayern's target this season must be to win the UEFA Champions League. They have been doing very well since Jupp Heynckes returned, they were the first side in the Champions League to beat Paris Saint-Germain this season, and they are on track to go far in the competition again. But I also want to give special praise to my former club Eintracht Frankfurt. They are somewhat the surprise package in the Bundesliga this season and in the middle of the top four race. Coach Nico Kovac has been doing a tremendous job and they have been doing very well. My heart is still with the club and I hope they can push on and reach the top four by the end of the season. Another team that has impressed me again this campaign are RB Leipzig. Nobody expected them to do so well after their promotion in their first season last year. And they have kept on playing good football, despite the added pressure of playing in European competition. They learned some incredible lessons in the UEFA Champions League and just missed out on the Last 16, but have recently knocked Serie A leaders Napoli out of the UEFA Europa League. I hope they can keep their team together and become a long-term competitor to Bayern in the league. Before I let you go, let me also praise my African brother Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He became the African record scorer in the Bundesliga but decided to test himself in new waters in another league. We have to respect his decision and can only wish him all the best in the Premier League. Many are saying he is a big loss for the German league and surely he is, but I think it's also an opportunity for another player to step up and fill the gap left by Aubameyang. Maybe another Jay-Jay Okocha or Aubameyang will come and inspire us. Until we chat again, enjoy the upcoming Bundesliga games! We – the league's legends team – might have a surprise for you and catch up sooner than you think. Watch this space… Jay Jay
