Okocha - set to make international bow. (Allsport)

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Wednesday's game against England will be Jay Jay Okocha's last for Nigeria, the Paris St Germain midfielder has announced.

The 28-year-old Super Eagles captain has decided to step aside from the international arena to allow younger players to come through after Nigeria were eliminated from the World Cup by Friday's 2-1 defeat to Sweden.

"This should be my last World Cup appearance. There is no doubt about that," he told Lagos newspaper This Day.

"I have to give the opportunity to the younger ones who are equally promising.

"It is painful that it ended this way but what can one do.

"This is a game of football and you can never know what will happen. Now it has gone this way."

Asked if he would have stayed with the national team had the Super Eagles done better at the World Cup, Okocha said he had made his mind up before the competition started.

"See, I have always thought of quitting the national team after the World Cup," he said.

"Honestly, nothing would have stopped me from quitting after the championship."

However, if England, who need a point against Nigeria to be certain of a place in the second round, are expecting an easy ride from the Africans, Okocha has put them straight.

"We are still going to play to win," he said.

"We are going to play our normal game while England will be under pressure.

"At least for the sake of our country we are going to play to win."

Okocha, who is out of contract at the end of this month and was recently linked with a summer move to Bolton, made his debut for Nigeria against Sudan in 1993.

He was a member of the World Cup squads that reached the second round at USA 94 and France 98.

He also earned a winner's medal at the 1994 African Nations Cup in Tunisia and at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

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