Tag: Mikel Obi

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2025 AFCON: What Late Stephen Keshi Told Me About Corruption In Team Selection – Mikel

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has disclosed what the late former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, told him regarding corruption in the team selection process.

Mikel made the disclosure while drawing a comparison between Keshi’s squad and Nigeria’s team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

According to Mikel, Keshi told him that highly placed individuals attempted to influence his selection, but the late coach resisted the pressure and selected players purely on merit.

“I remember the late Stephen Keshi when he wanted to make his World Cup selection, called me up and say Mikel, I want to make the squad but these f****s keep calling me trying to influence my decision,” Mikel said on his Obi One Podcast.

“They say I have to pick this player but you know me, I will always do what’s right and I will pick the players that I think deserve and will go and help this country do well in the World Cup.”

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles already have 25 players in camp as preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations intensify in Egypt.

Nigeria are scheduled to face Egypt in a friendly match on Tuesday before travelling to neighbouring Morocco for the tournament.

The Super Eagles will play Tanzania, Uganda and Tunisia in Group C of the AFCON.

Nigeria’s campaign begins against Tanzania on December 23, followed by matches against Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda on December 30.

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Nigeria vs Gabon: Mikel Obi Lists Three Things Super Eagles Must Do

Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has outlined three key things Eric Chelle’s team must do when they face Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff on Thursday in Morocco.

Obi Mikel urged the Super Eagles to approach their match against Gabon with confidence, bravery, and passion, adding that they should be proud to wear the green and white colors of Nigeria.

The winner of the encounter between Nigeria and Gabon will face the winner between Cameroon and DR Congo in the playoff final on Sunday.

“Go in the game, play as we should, with full confidence, bravery, and passion, knowing you’re wearing the green white green, the badge of that green white green is huge,” Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea midfielder, said on the Obi One Podcast Channel.

“300 million people, that is a lot of pressure, but you have to deal with it. I know they can do it, and I believe in them.”

Nigeria heads to the game after defeating the Benin Republic in their last game, while Gabon won against Burundi.

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2026 WCQ: Super Eagles World Cup Hopes Would Have Been Dead Without Victor Osimhen – Mikel Obi

Former Nigerian international Mikel Obi has asserted that without star striker Victor Osimhen, the Super Eagles’ chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup playoffs would be “nonexistent.”

Speaking on the Obi One podcast, Mikel emphasized Osimhen’s crucial role in reviving Nigeria’s World Cup bid. This sentiment follows the decisive final Group C match against Benin, where the Galatasaray star scored a hat-trick in a commanding 4-0 victory, which ultimately sealed the playoff berth for the Super Eagles.

Mikel argued that even against a lesser opponent, the striker’s performance under intense pressure was remarkable.

“If we didn’t win that game, we wouldn’t be talking about trying to qualify for the World Cup. Victor Osimhen has singlehandedly kept us alive. One of the biggest games, he’s come out and scored a hat-trick.”

Mikel underscored Osimhen’s importance by pointing to the team’s record in his absence. He noted that the Super Eagles failed to secure a single win in the matches Osimhen missed, instead recording four draws and one loss. This stark comparison highlights the striker’s profound influence on the team’s results.

Mikel praised the intangible qualities that Osimhen brings to the field: “You can see the intensity, passion, aggressiveness he shows. When the pressure is on, the big boys step up, and that’s exactly what he has done. He’s the big boy in that team right now, and we all needed him.”

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Super Eagles Can Still Secure 2026 World Cup Ticket – Mikel Obi Says

John Mikel Obi, a former Super Eagles captain, has expressed confidence that the team still has a chance to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles currently occupy third position in Group C with 11 points from eight games.

Eric Chelle’s side are poised to take on the Crocodiles of Lesotho, and Squirrels of Benin Republic in their last two games in the qualifying series.

They will be guests of Lesotho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane on Friday.

The Super Eagles will round up their qualifying campaign with a home fixture against Benin Republic next week Tuesday.

Mikel said the players must take responsibility, and fight for the nation.

“It’s going to be a crime, an absolute crime, if Nigeria doesn’t make it to the World Cup again,” Mikel said on the ObiOne Podcast.

“We love our football too much. Our World Cup fate is in the players’ hands. They have to win these two games—no excuses.”

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Why I Turned Mikel Obi Into A Defensive Midfielder – Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho, former Chelsea and Manchester United manager has finally opened up on why he changed John Mikel Obi from an offensive midfielder to a defensive midfielder during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Before arriving at Chelsea in 2006, Obi was regarded as one of the best young playmakers in the world at that time.
He worked under Mourinho during the Portuguese’s tenure at the London club.
The 36-year-old was, however, changed to a defensive midfielder by the Portuguese.
Mourinho, now in charge of the Serie A side, AS Roma, revealed the reason behind his action.
 
“I liked everything about Mikel. If you go through all the positional [defensive] midfield players that I have had during my career, there are lots of similar things,” Mourinho said on the ObiOne Podcast.
“Aside from Claude Makelele who was small, I had them all tall and physically strong. They also knew how to occupy space and they have what I call ‘the simplicity of football’, which is fundamental in that position.
 
“The team needs balance, with or without the ball. A defensive midfielder needs to be humble in the sense that they recognize that the team is more important than themselves.
 
“With me at Chelsea, Mikel was a fantastic positional midfield player, very quick thinking, one touch, two touches, everything was simple, and the game was flowing.”
Mikel made 249 league appearances for Chelsea winning the Premier League title twice. He also won four FA Cup titles four times as well as the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
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Mikel Obi’s Effort Was Not Appreciated by Chelsea Fans – Former Chelsea Manager, Di Matteo

Former Chelsea manager, Roberto Di Matteo has spoken about Mikel obi.
He said Obi’s effort was not duly appreciated by Chelsea fans.
Mikel spent over a decade at Stamford Bridge, contributing significantly to the club’s successes including the premier league, the Champions league, Europa League, the FA Cup, UEFA Super cup.
He was part of the squad that won the club’s first Champions League in 2012 under Di Matteo, after Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich in the final.
He also won two Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
In a chat with The Obi One Podcast, Di Matteo acknowledged the hard work that Mikel brought to the team, drawing from his own experience in a similar role.
 
“I played in the same position as you so I knew exactly what you go for in a game and what you felt,” Di Matteo said on The Obi One Podcast.
“The role that you played in our team is a little bit of an unsung hero role. You have to do a lot of work that the fans or the critics in general don’t really understand or appreciate but because I played a similar role I knew exactly how important you were for the team.”
In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals.
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I Am The Most Decorated Nigerian Player – Mikel Obi Boasts (Video)

Former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi has talked about his football career.
According to the former Chelsea star, he is the most decorated Nigerian footballer.
He said this in a podcast with Victor Osimhen on Monday evening.
The statement has since raised uproar amongst Nigerian football lovers, some attesting to the fact that Mikel Obi is the most decorated while some stood behind 47-year old legend, Nwankwo Kanu affirming that Kanu is the most decorated player in Nigeria’s history.
Mikel Obi won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, 4X FA Cup, Olympic Bronze Medal, 2X English Premier League, AFCON 2013, 2X Carabao Cup, Community Shield, 2005 Under 20 WC silver ball (behind Lionel Messi).
On the other hand, Kanu Nwankwo who some presume is the most decorated in his active years playing across different football leagues won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, 3X FA Cup, Olympic Gold Medal, 2X English Premier League, 3X Dutch Eredivisie, 1X Nigerian Premier league, 1X U17 World Cup, 2X African Footballer of the Year.
However, the most distinctive award between both players is the African footballer of the year which Kanu Nwankwo won twice in his playing time but Obi didn’t get on to achieve the prestigious award.

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