Jay Jay Okocha, Obi Mikel reveal how they changed their names

Former Super Eagles captains, Jay Jay Okocha and John Obi Mikel have opened up about how their names were altered. In an interview on the Obi One Podcast, the two former Nigerian international footballers explained the events that led to their name changes. Okocha adopted the nickname "Jay Jay" while playing street football as a child.

The name originated from his younger brother James, who is the actual Jay Jay. Mikel, on the other hand, changed his name from Michael to Mikel during an Under-17 tournament when the printing errors were made. He added that the name Michael was the one he submitted, but Mikel was printed on his shirt.

The origin of Okocha's nickname, "Jay Jay," is rooted in the neighborhood where he grew up. There were several footballers in the area, including his brothers. To differentiate between them, they started calling him Austin Jay Jay's brother, which eventually became his nickname. Okocha then decided to accept the name for himself and included it in his passport.

Similarly, Mikel chose to keep the name Mikel after the printing mistake during the Under-17 tournament. He found that Mikel sounded better than Michael and decided to adopt it as his official name, also adding it to his passport.