FIFA 23 World Cup Hero Jay-Jay Okocha Player Review

While Path to Glory Nkunku ran away with the majority of votes, it was clear that WCH Jay-Jay Okocha was the clear and obvious second choice.  The man so nice, they named him twice, and accompanied by some fantastic World Cup Hero artwork and even better statistics.

I mentioned in the Al-Owairan Review that the World Cup Hero cards have completely won me over.  The idea behind them, the card design, and the incredible statistics have all combined to create some truly memorable cards.

Which FIFA 23 World Cup Player do you want @MaeNine_ to review next? 🧐

— FUTBIN (@FUTBIN) November 18, 2022

Of course Okocha was included as an ICON in previous versions of FIFA dating back to FIFA 17… but this version might just be my favorite rendition of the silky skiller.

I am actually surprised to see that the price tag has slightly dipped since my review. Perhaps the guaranteed World Cup Hero pack is causing some fear as the 89 rating just barely makes the cut off for inclusion. I predicted this card would see a continuous rocket forward in price given the general cult following and hype surrounding World Cup Heroes, then mix in the current popularity of the EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE type and I thought he was off to the moon.

It was the skills, player type and impressive attacking statistics that led me to playing Okocha as the striker in my 4-2-2-2 formation. There were quite a few moments throughout the review where I moved Jay-Jay out into the LAM or RAM positions after halftime… His pace and dribbling are a huge problem for tiring backlines.

The HUNTER chemistry style is a dream for this card and creates a formidable attacking weapon for any squad. The price tag would have me leaning towards a more central starting position, hence my review… But there was a lot of evidence to suggest deployment on the wings leading to terrific attacking output.

Jay-Jay Okocha only enhanced his FIFA legend status further all Weekend League long in the following squad:

Starting Squad

In-Game Squad

Overall 

Rating: 9/10

Pace Rating: 10/10

Dribbling Rating: 10/10

Shooting Rating: 9/10

Passing Rating: 8.5/10

Physical Rating: 7/10

Defending Rating: N/A

I can say a lot about this card… and I guess in the end I will… but the biggest take away I would pass on from this review was how fun this card is to use.

If you rely on left stick dribbling, this card is responsive and generally quick on the turn… if you have the skills in your tool kit, the 5 STAR SKILLS and agile feel will be a dream.

This was an interesting set of 15 matches and I should have mentioned it during my Nkunku Review… but it felt like I had two opponents this weekend.  Absolute demons or players quitting early when I took the lead… and honestly not much in between.

The reason I point this out is to further comment on the 16 goals and 6 assists in 15 matches from this review. The total is impressive to begin with, but with more minutes against weaker opponents and some more reasonable opponents in the later stages of Weekend League, I know the totals would have been higher.

Main Statistics – On The Ball

Pace Rating: 10/10

Dribbling Rating: 10/10

Skills: ★★★★★

Trait: Flair

The quality this card exudes on the ball is everything you want and more. The 99 ACCELERATION with the EXPLOSIVE AcceleRATE is unbelievably responsive… while the 94 SPRINT SPEED was enough to keep most tracking defenders at arm's length.

But it is really the dribbling where this card starts to shine. The 93 AGILITY & 92 BALANCE are up there with some of the best I have felt on a card. The way that Okocha turns opponents is blistering yet in control… a tricky combination to defend.

I will continue to beat the FLAIR drum as loud as I can, and once again it proved foolproof with Jay-Jay… The 93 BALL CONTROL & 96 DRIBBLING are certainly not hurting the situation and the card just generally floats on the ball.

Value/Coins

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5

Once again I realize that Nkunku’s price is unique for a lot of reasons… but I will say that standing beside a 2 million coin card, Jay-Jay felt incredibly priced.

The linkability of this card is also worth noting… while there are not a ton of Nigerian connections, the links to Ligue 1 are fantastic for squad building… and of course Okocha can simply stand alone on full chemistry in any squad.

Good vs. Bad 

Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

There is a part of me that wants to just put one remark… + FUN. It is such a shame that moments, where this game is fun, are worth such emphasis… but this is where we are. The gameplay you can produce, the goals you can score, the image of the man with what I can only assume is an Ode to Gambit… it all just had me enjoying my WL grind. But if that doesn’t do it for you, here are some other noteworthy moments:

+ The 88 FINISHING performed beyond expectations and is definitely a result of the 94 SHOT POWER, 90 LONG SHOTS & 4 STAR WEAK FOOT. The OUTSIDE FOOT trait has of course gained importance since the latest patch and despite not having the FINESSE trait I still managed a couple of fine finishes.

+ Standing 173cm | 5’8 only adds fuel to dribbling fire… The card is literally built for speed and while the shorter build is not always positive, it was a key addition to the dribbling with this card.

+ The 83 SHORT PASSING with this card was largely foolproof and performed well in the tight spaces in the attack. The 81 CROSSING was largely faultless as well.

Some minor inconveniences, but could make or break moments given the price tag.

- On a smaller card with only 64 STRENGTH you are going to have some problems. For Okocha this was more of an issue at striker than on the wing. Leading the line he was more likely to get involved in physical battles, but I found his pace and dribbling alleviated a lot of these encounters in more space on the wing.

- The 79 LONG PASSING was a complete letdown given the 87 VISION… it was as if the card could see the pass I was wanting, but couldn’t execute. Truthfully I didn’t notice this at all until I moved Jay-Jay onto the wings… food for thought if that is your plan.

- There were moments where I felt Okocha could have done a bit better in front of goal. Somewhere in the 88 FINISHING and 4 STAR WEAK FOOT lies the tendency for big chances missed. The left foot was more of a culprit than the right of course… But both were guilty at one point or another.

Closing Words

Cards that bring me joy are the ones I love to push the most in these reviews.  When Nkunku missed a chance this weekend the obscenities were flying and my mind was on the point of breaking.  Yet the same moment from Okocha minutes later was met with a reassuring, “next time sweet prince.”

The price tag could not be more suited for this card… case in point 92 Garrincha who is eerily similar.  The trade off coming from Garrincha’s passing superiority in exchange for the extra alternate position and links of Jay-Jay.

This card gets a serious ‘must try’ from me.  Okocha is simple to add into the mix with a fantastic output in attack.  It all starts with the pace and everything else seems to flow from there… Complemented WCH Keane perfectly and would be a Marvelous addition to any attack.