Okocha vs Ronaldo: 5 times Super Eagles legend faced Portugal superstar

Austin Okocha would be filled with memories in one corner of his home as news filter in that Cristiano Ronaldo has retired from international football.

The legendary Al Nassr forward brought an end to his hugely-successful 23-year career with Portugal.

This memorable moment offers a chance to look back at Ronaldo’s five Premier League meetings with former Super Eagles captain Okocha.

The two players never met at international level but faced each other five times between 2003 and 2006, when the Nigerian midfield maestro was playing for Bolton Wanderers and Ronaldo was at Manchester United.

United won four of those matches, while the other ended in a draw. Okocha never managed to beat Ronaldo, although he played the full 90 minutes in their final two meetings.

Okocha vs Ronaldo meetings

Okocha joined Bolton Wanderers ahead of the 2002-2003 Premier League season on a free transfer after the expiration of his contract at French giants PSG, where he won the Trophée des Champions and UEFA Intertoto Cup.

That season, Nigeria’s greatest playmaker made 31 league appearances and scored seven goals for Bolton Wanderers. None of those were against Ronaldo, though, who only joined Man United just before the start of the 2003-04 campaign.

The first-ever meeting between the Super Eagles icon and Ronaldo came on August 23, 2003, when United beat Bolton 4-0 at Old Trafford. Okocha played 29 minutes, while Ronaldo came on as a substitute.

On September 11, 2004, Bolton held United to a 2-2 draw at the Reebok Stadium. Okocha played 26 minutes, while Ronaldo spent 18 minutes on the pitch.

United claimed a 2-0 home victory in their next meeting on December 26, 2004. Okocha again came off the bench, playing 18 minutes.

Ronaldo’s double against Okocha at Old Trafford

Their fourth meeting produced the most memorable individual performance from Ronaldo. On December 31, 2005, the Portuguese forward scored twice in United’s 4-1 victory over Bolton at Old Trafford. He also tormented the visitors with his stepovers and dribbling, while Okocha played the entire match.

The final meeting between the two took place on April 1, 2006, when United beat Bolton 2-1 at the Reebok Stadium. Both players completed the full 90 minutes.

By the time Ronaldo arrived in England, Okocha had already made his name in European football. He had played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe and Paris Saint-Germain before joining Bolton in 2002.

The Nigerian, one of the few Super Eagles stars to captain a Premier League club, also enjoyed a successful international career, winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and the 1996 Olympic gold medal. He represented Nigeria at three World Cups and won the BBC African Footballer of the Year award in 2003 and 2004.

Ronaldo went on to become Portugal’s all-time leading international goalscorer, finishing with 146 goals in 234 appearances. He also captained his country to Euro 2016 and won two UEFA Nations League titles.

His retirement announcement on Thursday, November 5, brings his international career to a close, while his club career continues with Al-Nassr.