‘Too Comfortable at Home’ - Jay-Jay Okocha Agrees With Benni McCarthy About South African Players

South African legend Benni McCarthy has always maintained his stance that players in his country are too comfortable playing at home and do not like to challenge themselves abroad.

McCarthy feels that South Africa would have so many players in top league abroad if they chose to move to Europe early and his stance has been supported by Nigerian football legend Jay-Jay Okocha.

Okocha has offered a bold assessment of South African players, suggesting their Nigerian counterparts possess greater ambition to test their skills abroad.

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His comments highlight the stark contrast in the number of players from each nation competing in Europe's elite leagues. The former Paris Saint-Germain playmaker believes many South African footballers may be too content in their domestic league, which could be stifling their drive to compete at the highest international level.

"First of all, you must have that desire to become the best version of yourself, and for you to make a name for yourself globally, you have to get out of your comfort zone," Okocha stated during an appearance on Radio 2000's Game On as per KickOff.

"I would say that this is the problem that I feel, it's my opinion, that South African players have because they are too comfortable at home, and that drive is not really there."

He contrasted this with the mindset of players from his home country. "But we Nigerians, we are very ambitious people, we like to challenge ourselves," he explained. Okocha also noted the challenges of adapting to a new environment, such as Germany, where players must "socialise, understand the culture of the people, and... be willing to learn the language."

He added that while mentorship helps, a player's attitude is crucial. "If you show that you're willing to stay, you're willing to learn, then of course, your stay will be a lot easier," he advised. "My advice is just to be open and make sure that you keep that hunger, that desire that you have in becoming the best version of yourself."

Despite his critique, Okocha acknowledged the recent progress of the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, who qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the expense of Nigeria.

While maintaining that more South Africans should be playing in Europe, he praised the success of Hugo Broos's squad, which is largely composed of domestic-based talent.

"It's happy days for South African football and well-deserved because they worked for it [World Cup ticket]," Okocha said. "They have invested in the local league, and they are reaping the rewards now. The impressive thing about it is that it shows how strong the South African league is."