National Teams
“Close to replacing Okocha, Kanu” — Kcee reveals unknown football journey
By Monsurah Olatunji
Nigerian music sensation Kingsley Chinweike Okonkwo, better known as Kcee, has revealed that he was talented enough to have replaced Super Eagles legends Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu in the national team.
According to him, his first international travel came through football but for lack of support took tolls on him and fate had other plans.
As a teenager in the mid-1990s, he played for Nigerian league sides Julius Berger FC and Puma FC, even traveling to South Africa for matches.
At the same time, he was nurturing his love for music, running both passions side by side proved difficult, and when he won the Star Quest talent hunt in 2002 alongside Precious John (forming the duo KC Presh), his path became clear.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Tea With Tay podcast which started trending on Saturday, hosted by Temisan Emmanuel, Kcee revealed he was part of a generation poised to take over from Super Eagles icons like Okocha and Kanu.
“The first time I traveled out of this country was football. I was playing for Julius Berger. I played for Puma. That was before music.
“Jay Jay [Okocha] and Kanu were a set before me. After them, we would have been like the people to take over Super Eagles.
“When I found out that it was difficult to take my football career to the next level, I picked up my next love, music. I was running both of them side by side. In the course of that, I won Star Quest talent hunt.
“I started making money [from music]. So, I had to drop one for one. That was why I quit football.”
However, his decision to pivot from football to music has paid off immensely. Over two decades, he has established himself as one of Nigeria’s most versatile artists with hits like Limpopo and Ojapiano.
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