Nigerian football legend Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha says his unforgettable goal against Oliver Kahn at Eintracht Frankfurt transformed his career and brought him international recognition.

Former Super Eagles captain Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has recalled how his unforgettable solo goal against legendary German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn at Eintracht Frankfurt became a defining moment in his football career.

Okocha, speaking on the Obi-Wan Podcast on Monday, said the spectacular goal propelled him to international prominence after he dribbled past Kahn before calmly finding the back of the net.

The goal, which has gone down as one of the most memorable individual efforts in football history, was repeatedly shown on European television despite being scored before the era of social media.

Okocha said Kahn was at the peak of his powers at the time and was enjoying one of the best periods of his career before his eventual move to Bayern Munich.

According to the Nigerian football icon, he was not attempting to humiliate the highly rated goalkeeper but was simply looking for the right opportunity to shoot.

“I wasn't trying to embarrass him. I was just looking for the right opportunity to shoot,” Okocha recalled.

He also revealed that his Frankfurt manager later joked that his career at the club could have been in jeopardy had the audacious move failed.

Okocha said the manager told him that if he had remained in charge and the Nigerian had failed to score after holding on to the ball for so long, he would never have played for the club again.

The former midfielder has since met Kahn, but said the two have never discussed the famous incident.

Okocha jokingly attributed their silence on the subject to Kahn's stern personality.

“He’s a big lad, and he never smiles,” Okocha said.

The goal against Kahn ultimately became one of the defining moments of Okocha's illustrious career. His performance attracted widespread attention and helped establish him as one of the most exciting attacking midfielders of his generation.

After leaving Eintracht Frankfurt, Okocha went on to enjoy successful spells with Fenerbahçe, Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton Wanderers, among other clubs.

He also became one of the most celebrated African footballers of his generation, earning widespread admiration for his creativity, dribbling ability, flair and audacious style of play.