Fenerbahçe Gave Me Turkish Passport to Keep Me from PSG, Claims Okocha

Former Super Eagles captain Augustine "Jay Jay" Okocha has shared a remarkable story from his playing days, revealing that Turkish club Fenerbahçe issued him a passport under a local name to thwart a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

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They gave me Turkish passport with Turkish name. They asked me to choose Turkish name, so the easiest one was Muhammed… was a guy that was working for us. So we all loved him, so I picked his name.

Okocha, who spent two years at Fenerbahçe, explained that the club's strong desire to keep him led to this unusual measure when PSG expressed interest. "They gave me Turkish passport with Turkish name. They asked me to choose Turkish name, so the easiest one was Muhammed… was a guy that was working for us. So we all loved him, so I picked his name," Okocha said on the Obi-Wan podcast.

The Nigerian football legend stated that Fenerbahçe's stance was firm: "When PSG came, they said I’m not leaving, I can’t leave, I’m not for sale." This refusal prompted Okocha to briefly withdraw from training to push the move through, a situation he described as a "good problem" for the club due to his value.

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When PSG came, they said I’m not leaving, I can’t leave, I’m not for sale.

He recounted a humorous incident where he almost didn't respond to his adopted name, "Muhammed Yahuz," on a flight because he had not yet become accustomed to using the Turkish document. Okocha eventually transferred to PSG in 1998, a move that was reportedly one of the most expensive for an African footballer at the time. He continues to use the Turkish passport for travel, though he is still widely recognized as "JJ."

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It was a problem for me to leave. They didn’t want me to leave, which is a good problem.