Latest News
“Jay-Jay made me a Big Man in Madrid”: How a Late-Night Call Turned Gbenga Elegbeleye into a Star at the World Football Summit
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
When Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, attended the World Football Summit in Madrid, he didn’t expect to become the center of attention. But one spontaneous phone call to Nigerian football legend Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha turned an ordinary evening into one of the most memorable moments of the event.
Recounting the experience with laughter, Elegbeleye said the incident happened during the summit’s gala dinner—a gathering that drew football executives, investors, and administrators from across the globe.
“We were having a nice conversation when some delegates at my table started talking about Nigerian football,” Elegbeleye recalled. “One Japanese official from the J-League suddenly asked, ‘Do you know Jay-Jay Okocha?’ and I told him, ‘Jay-Jay? He’s my close friend.’”
That simple reply sparked excitement around the table. Though it was already past 11 p.m. in Nigeria, a Turkish delegate urged him to call the former Super Eagles captain. Amid cheers and curiosity, Elegbeleye obliged—and what followed became the night’s biggest surprise.
“The moment they saw Jay-Jay’s WhatsApp display picture, the whole table went wild,” he said, smiling. “When he picked up, everyone was thrilled. People from nearby tables came over just to say hello to him.”
For a few minutes, the NPFL chairman and his phone became the main attraction, with guests lining up to greet Okocha. The cheerful scene, he said, perfectly illustrated the former Nigerian captain’s enduring global influence.
But the evening took an even more amusing turn. One of the guests—a Portuguese investor involved in ParaSoccer—was so delighted by the encounter that he decided to thank Elegbeleye in an unusual way: by upgrading his hotel room from a regular single to a deluxe executive suite.
“All because I’m friends with Jay-Jay Okocha,” Elegbeleye said humorously. “Next time I check in at my regular Eurostars Madrid hotel, they’ll probably wonder why I’m not in the super deluxe suite.”
Reflecting on the lighthearted incident, Elegbeleye expressed both gratitude and amusement.
“So, thanks, Jay-Jay, for making me a temporary big man in Madrid,” he joked. “But no thanks—because now I have a reputation to maintain.”
The story has since made the rounds among delegates and attendees, serving as one of the most talked-about highlights of the World Football Summit. Beyond the laughter, it also underscored Nigeria’s rich football heritage and Okocha’s lasting appeal as one of the game’s most admired figures.
