Ronaldinho kept me my uncle as a baby & okochas … I want to follow their footsteps

Alex Iwobi was held by his uncle’s teammate and Ballon d’Or Koning Ronaldinho as a child.

Now he hopes to hold a big trophy for his country – and to catch his family.

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Brazili icon Ronaldinho won the Copa America in 1999 and then played a crucial role in the World Cup triumph of Selecao 2002.

That success came at the end of the 2001-02 season, his first at Paris Saint-Germain.

Also in the PSG team that year were Mikel Arteta, Mauricio Pochettino, Nicolas Anelka, Gabriel Heinze and Jay-Jay Okocha, the uncle of Iwobi’s mother.

Ronaldinho and Okocha only had one season together in France when the latter came to Bolton in 2002.

But if Iwobi – Born in May 1996 – has only just been discovered, he spent time hanging around with one of the great entertainers of football.

The Fulham Winger, 29, revealed to Sunsport: “What was crazy was that I was in Barcelona and I saw Ronaldinho.

“I told my mother:” I see Ronaldinho. ‘

“And she said,” Do you know he was holding you as a baby when he played with your uncle for PSG? ‘

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“She even showed me a photo.”

Okocha earned the Premier League Cult Hero status at Bolton for four years, with Iwobi able to look and Lay inspiration to follow in his footsteps one day.

The couple is very close and in regular contact – but the uncle tends to give his cousin advice about his football.

But Iwobi may turn to Okocha prior to the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, because he desperately tries to become the second member of the family to lift the trophy Nigeria.

Okocha’s side came from behind against Zambia in 1994 to win the second of the three of the Super Eagles Abandon crown.

IWOBI and CO suffered heartache and defeated hosts in the group phase last year earlier Losing the same opponents in the final.

Now the focus is on one step further on January 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

Iwobi – whose Project 17 Charity organized their P17 football tournament on Sunday and increased consciousness for ACLT, a life -saving organization that worked to increase the number of blood, stem cell and organ donors of the black community – said: “Of course he cannot be the only one who has bragging rights. I must have one to him.

“So hopefully I can get the chance to do this at AFCON.

“We want to improve and do better than last time the only way to do that is to win it.

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“Last year we were so close. What hurts the most is that we beat the hosts and winners in our group.

“Hopefully this year will be our year. There are many big names, large countries in the competition.

“We believe that we have the players to do this. It would make leaving the Premier League even sweeter.

“With Uncle I was a bit upset because he played in Baller League, but I couldn’t go because I was on vacation.

“We always have contact and laughing. He always hardly reports me about football. It is normally on my well -being, how I am doing.

“He treats me with so much respect and I have so much respect for him.

“He expressed himself by playing with a smile on his face, so he said that I literally had to go on the field, had to do the same and enjoy my football.”

Some people rest … Even when I’m tired, I will find energy somewhere to play football

Alex Iwobi

Should Nigeria go all the way to the Final of Afcon and qualify for the World Cup – they are currently fourth in group C with four games to go – Iwobi could in theory play no fewer than 60 games for Club and Country in 2025-26.

For those who played in Euro 2024, the current Club World Cup and the World Cup of the following summer – especially in the extreme heat – there are concerns about burn -out, injuries and the quality of football decrease.

But not from Iwobi.

Asked if he shares those fears, he simply said: “No.

“It is clear that some people are resting. Since I was a child, I have always played football.

“When there is a kick-around or a game of two-touch with friends, I go.

“When I can play football, I am not someone who complains.

“Even when I’m tired, I will find energy somewhere to play football. But that’s just me. Some people will see it differently.”

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