Spurs Coach, Pochettino Says Ex-Teammate Okocha Is In The Same Bracket As Maradona & Ronaldinho

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has compared former Super Eagles skipper Jay-Jay Okocha to Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho as he was praising Mousa Dembele.

Former Argentina international Pochettino has first-hand knowledge of what Okocha can do because they played together at Paris Saint-Germain for two seasons, before the Nigerian joined Bolton Wanderers.

“I always say to him, ‘Mousa, when I write my book, you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky enough to meet,’” Pochettino said.

“One was Maradona; also Ronaldinho, Okocha and Iván de la Peña – he was a genius, too – and then Mousa.

“We always tell Mousa that if we had taken him at 18 or 19, he would have become one of the best players in the world.”

Mauricio Pochettino assisted Argentina goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero to post a shutout when the South American powerhouse faced Okocha and Nigeria at the 2002 World Cup.

Igho Kingsley