Heineken UCL Tour: Puyol Hails Okocha, Drogba  

Heineken UCL Tour: Puyol Hails Okocha, Drogba  

Former Spain international, Carles Puyol has hailed the African duo of Austin Okocha and Cote D’Ivoire Didier Drogba as two of the finest players to have come out of Africa.

Puyol made this known during the Heineken UEFA Champions League Tour to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Though the former Barcelona defender admitted that he never played against Okocha at competitive level but he  said he had great respect for his skills and could not stop admiring him anytime he gets to watch him.

The three times UEFA Champions League winner however, said former Chelsea great, Drogba remains his toughest opponent during his playing career.

“I came against him severally in the Champions League against Chelsea and he was one of the most unpredictable strikers I ever faced. He does unpredictable things and thereby very difficult to mark,” Puyol said.

The Catalan however counted himself lucky for not having to come up against Argentine Lionel Messi in a match proper aside from training.

“Messi is no doubt the best player in the world and you just can’t mark him. He does things that are out of this world and I’ll always be grateful that it was only in training that I do come against him,” he admitted.

As part of his tour to Uyo, Puyol played an exhibition match against a side that had Okocha and other Super Eagles 1994 sets, which includes Mutiu Adepoju, Austin Eguaveon, Uche Okechuku and Daniel Amokachi.

The match attracted huge turnout at the Godwill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, as the crowd cheered every of their moves.

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