Where the Game’s Gone

Fans say the game’s gone. Football’s Chief Flair Officer Jay-Jay Okocha inspires Africa to show dem where it went.

In the run up to the Africa Cup of Nations, we launched a campaign with Nike to answer its critics and remind the world that African football is the football football needs.

Stifling tactics, robotic systems and players being coached to within an inch of their lives – the beautiful game is getting boring. But there’s one place where freedom, swagger and skill still rule. African football is the antidote to the prescriptive modern game.

So using every disillusioned fan’s favourite phrase, ‘The game’s gone’, Nike decided to answer AFCON critics and show the world where it went. And who better to do so than football’s greatest showman, Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha.

The campaign kicked off with Nike appointing Jay-Jay as its unofficial Chief Flair Officer. As his first act in the job, football’s new CFO published a letter to the football community, announcing the role and gifting Naija ‘96 jerseys as an invite to see where the game went.

Where the Game’s Gone

To follow up, Nike released a film. Stepping out of a limo adorned with a Super Eagle bonnet badge, Jay-Jay arrives at a football pitch and addresses camera with a message, “They say the game’s gone, let’s show dem where it went”.

With Jay-Jay at its centre, an epic match between players of all levels and ages from across the continent and diaspora ensues all around. The antithesis of prescriptive football, the film aims to capture the freedom and raw, unconstrained energy of the African game. A pan-continental celebration of skill and flair, we find triple-AFCON winner Rasheedat Ajibade, Ghana international Freda Ayisi, Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari, Nigeria icon Obafemi Martins along with African football creators including Wizzy, Appie and Gamey all taking part. The film ends with Jay-Jay, encouraging the continent to ‘Show dem, Africa’.

To follow, Nike released a suite of TikTok skill challenges featuring Okocha, Saibairi, Ayisi, Nicolas Jackson and creators from across the continent, encouraging the next generation of players to “Show dem”.