The Nation Newspaper

Tag: John Obi Mikel

  • Obi Mikel to get Middlesbrough’s number 12 jersey

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel is back in England after successfully joining English Championship side Middlesbrough.

    Earlier reports in the day indicate that the former Chelsea midfielder was undergoing medical ahead of the deal, but it does appear that the deal has now been signed sealed and delivered after the club listed the Nigeria in the current first 11  handing him the No.12 shirt.

    Mikel considers the decision the right thing to do as it provides an opportunity to remain in the Uk close to his family

    The 31-year-old will hopefully aid the Tony Pulis tutored side who are pushing for promotion.

    Mikel had previously attracted   interest from European sides Roma and Wolfsburg but was set on returning to England to be closer to his family.

    The Nigeria international, who will be hoping to represent his country during this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, was also linked with a move to Crystal Palace.

    Mikel won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the League Cup during his 11-year spell at Chelsea.

    He also achieved success in European competitions with the Blues as he won both the Champions League and Europa League during his time in England.

    Middlesbrough, who face Newport in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, are currently fifth in the Championship.

    Mikel will not be the first Nigerian to play for the side as former Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni also played for the club between 2005 and 2007 scoring 25 goals in 73 appearances before moving to Everton.

  • AFCON 2019: No need to mount pressure on Mikel- Siasia

     

    As Super Eagles technical bench and fans alike worry about the way forward for club less national team Captain John Obi Mikel, former coach of the team Samson Siasia has declared that what the former Chelsea midfielder needs now is support and not pressure.

    Mikel who recently parted ways with Chinese super league side Tiajin Teda Siasia noted is currently more concerned about taking a decision on his next move and should be allowed to do so.

    “Everybody knows that Mikel is a patriotic and devoted captain of the Super Eagles. To the best of my knowledge, he will never shirk his responsibility as Eagles captain. He will not also abscond from the team without cogent reasons,” Siasia explained to Nigeria’s Adante Sports.

    “One thing we should also know is that Mikel has not played for a while now, and he is trying to move to another club. I believe he wants to secure his job situation before he will worry about the Super Eagles,” he added

    Mikel who has reportedly turned down interests from lower division clubs just like compatriot Odion Ighalo declared lower division clubs a no go area, is not keen to leave China with fillers that other Chinese super league sides are weighing options of signing him.

    Mikel’s commitment to the national team is not in doubt and many say he proved it during the World cup in Russia when he buried emotions to play 90 minutes against Argentina despite receiving news four hours earlier about the kidnap of his father Pa Michael in Nigeria. He was later rescued by men of the Nigerian Police after close to seven days in captivity.

    Eagles who have already picked a ticket for the 2019 Nations cup in Egypt will round up the qualifiers with and inconsequential tie against Seychelles in March.

     

  • What is the next destination for Super Eagles’ Captain?

     

    There is time for everything under the sun.  Time to start, and time to stop, time to play, and time to observe from the sidelines..

    Only time will tell when each of those changes will take place but for sure it will surely come to pass.

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel has no doubt come a long way. The midfielder who will turn 32 come April 22 this year, is currently sitting on the fence and weighing his options after announcing his exit from Chinese Super league side Tianjin Teda .

    The former Chelsea ace headed for China after the English premier league side refused to grant him further contract extension after a decade sojourn at the Stamford Bridge where he made over a record 249 appearances winning two premier league and three FA cup titles.

    Also in his kitty while playing for Chelsea include League cup. FA community Shield, Uefa Champions league and Europa league titles

    On individual level he won FIFA world youth Championship Silver Ball, 2005, emerged African Young player of the year twice and also Chelsea young player of the year twice 2007 and 2008.

    At the national team level a proud winner of the Nations cup in 2013 as well as a 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist. Although his move to China in January 2017 was considered shocking by some, it nonetheless served two major purposes, providing the Nigerian a weekly take home put at about £140.000 per week two times the £75.000 he was earning at Chelsea before the parting of ways.

    The China contract that was supposed to last for three years provided a platform for him to continue to showcase his skill. Of course he did make his own contributions to the Tianjin Teda, making about 31 appearances scoring three goals.

    He captained the Chinese Super league side, was captain of Nigeria U-23 team to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio is current Captain of the Super Eagles.

    After opting to terminate the china contract, what could be the next destination for the Captain? Offers have reportedly come from the Major League Soccer (MLS) where compatriot Obafemi Martins played with Seattle Sounders FC before heading to china.

    Recall that he started by playing for Norwegian side Lyn before a controversial transfer that was initially heading the way of Manchester United but eventually ended with Chelsea.

    From all indications the father of two who captained the Eagles to the World cup in Russia is not thinking about retirement so that is ruled out of the equation, but a new club he must get to keep playing especially with Super Eagles coach emphasising on his players being regular in their clubs.

    There have been speculations that possibilities abound in the Major Super League in United States, Turkish league and even return to England all of which the former Tianjin Teda captain is yet to confirm. It is equally speculated that other teams in the 16-team Chinese Super League sides may take advantage of his exit from Tianjin Teda to woo him to their side

    Compatriot and equally club-free Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo is also in the market but has made it clear he will not be interested in joining a second division club. What is the next destination for Captain Obi Mikel?

    His fans will tell you, “We are watching time will tell and soon too!”

     

     

     

     

  • Nostalgic Mikel relishes good moments with Petr Cech

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel has hailed the exploits of his former Chelsea teammate Petr Cech describing him as a dependable safe hand.

    Mikel who is still searching for a new club after terminating his contract with Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda described the opportunity he had playing with the  Czechoslovakian international as a great honour.

    The 36-year-old is set to call time on his illustrious football career and the Nigeria international has applauded the move noting that there is time for everything in life.

    “It has been an honour to have played and won so many trophies with you Petr Cech,” Mikel posted on Instagram.

    Cech who has seven league appearances this season for Arsenal will hope his side claim victory over his former club Chelsea when they meet on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

    Cech started his career with Chmel Blsany and played for Sparta Prague, Rennes before joining the Blues in 2004.

    He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cup, three league Cup, two Community Shield, one Champions League and one Europa League trophy before joining Arsenal in 2015 to end his 11-year stay at the Stamford Bridge.

    While Mikel may have hailed Cech’s planned retirements plan, there are no indications that retirement is on his own plans for now. The former lyn of Oslo midfielder who has hinted that he may not be leaving China despite parting ways with Tianjin Teda is yet to pitch tent with another club.

    There have been speculations that possibilities abound in the Major Super League in United States, Turkish league and even return to England all of which the former Tianjin Teda captain is yet to indicate any interest.

    It is equally speculated that other teams in the 20-team Chinese Super League sides may take advantage of his exit from Tianjin Teda to woo him to their side.

    Compatriot and equally clubless Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo is also in the market but has made it clear he will not be interested in joining a second division club.

     

     

     

  • Nostalgic Mikel relishes good moments with Petr Cech

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel has hailed the exploits of his former Chelsea teammate Petr Cech describing him as a dependable safe hand.

    Mikel who is still searching for a new club after terminating his contract with Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda described the opportunity he had playing with the  Czechoslovakian international as a great honour.

    The 36-year-old is set to call time on his illustrious football career and the Nigeria international has applauded the move noting that there is time for everything in life.

    “It has been an honour to have played and won so many trophies with you Petr Cech,” Mikel posted on Instagram.

    Cech who has seven league appearances this season for Arsenal will hope his side claim victory over his former club Chelsea when they meet on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

    Cech started his career with Chmel Blsany and played for Sparta Prague, Rennes before joining the Blues in 2004.

    He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cup, three league Cup, two Community Shield, one Champions League and one Europa League trophy before joining Arsenal in 2015 to end his 11-year stay at the Stamford Bridge.

    While Mikel may have hailed Cech’s planned retirements plan, there are no indications that retirement is on his own plans for now. The former lyn of Oslo midfielder who has hinted that he may not be leaving China despite parting ways with Tianjin Teda is yet to pitch tent with another club.

    There have been speculations that possibilities abound in the Major Super League in United States, Turkish league and even return to England all of which the former Tianjin Teda captain is yet to indicate any interest.

    It is equally speculated that other teams in the 20-team Chinese Super League sides may take advantage of his exit from Tianjin Teda to woo him to their side.

    Compatriot and equally clubless Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo is also in the market but has made it clear he will not be interested in joining a second division club.

  • Mikel in full action as Guangzou downs Tiajin Teda 2-0

    Succor is yet to come the way of Chinese Super League side Tiajin Teda as the John Obi Mikel captained side went down 2-0 away to Guangzou R&F at the Yuexiushan Stadium on Saturday.

    The Super Eagles captain and his Tiajin Teda teammates found their hosts a hard nut to crack conceding the first goal in the 27th minute and the second in the 76th minute.

    The club has not been able to sing victory song in the last four matches, with the last win dating back to 10th August against Henan Jianye at home. The four last matches have ended in two draws and two defeats including a 5-2 demolition by Beijing Guoan.

    Ghanaian import Frank Acheampong was in aciton for 73 minutes but found the Guangzou R&F defence difficult to rattle .

    Tiajin Teda will have to wait till 14th September to see if they will earn three points from visiting Shanghai SIPG.

    Mikel who will be missing Super Eagles Afcon 2019 qualifier against Seychelles next Saturday in Victoria after pulling out of the tie, has nonetheless expressed optimism that the Eagles will achieve a good result.

    While Mikel will be missing in action in Victoria, China based Odion Ighalo will be action against the Pirates.  Ighalo was on target August 26th as Changchun Yatai avoided home defeat holding Hebei CFFC to a 2-2 draw.

    Super Eagles Coach Gernot Rohr believes Victoria tie will afford Ighalo ample opportunity to rediscover his scoring skills for the team.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Real reason I shunned Man U for Chelsea-Mikel

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel has revealed the main reason why he shunned Manchester United for Chelsea 10 years ago.

    The Tiajin Teda captain and mid fielder who is hoping to lead the Eagles to better outing at the ongoing world Cup in Russia, disclosed that he was forced to settle for the Blues due to circumstances beyond his control.

    He revealed that he chose Chelsea then to provide soft landing for three other Nigerians who had been signed by the Blues earlier and who were then staying with him .Picking Man U he added would have affected the careers of the said players

    Speaking to the Players’ Tribune, he wrote: ‘I know what you’re thinking.

    ‘So before I tell you my story, let’s just get that bit out of the way first. It’s been more than a decade and I still get asked this one thing about my time in England.

    ‘”Hey, what happened to you signing for Manchester United? How come you swapped for Chelsea at the last minute?” Every time. 

    ‘I’ll tell you what happened. I had all these people on both sides fighting over me. Agents, managers, strangers, guys handing me papers. I had Sir Alex Ferguson calling me on the phone on one side.

    ‘And I had Roman Abramovich on the other side, putting me up in London, hiding me somewhere where only a few people knew where I was. It was really confusing, and I was a kid, you know?

    ‘After a while, someone from FIFA gave me a phone call. They said, “Listen, we know you’re young and you have these two clubs fighting over you. We can’t decide for you. You can only go where you want. You have to tell us.”

    ‘I thought about it for a long time. It was the biggest decision of my life.

    ‘You know what made my mind up? Chelsea had signed three other players from Nigeria along with me. They were staying with me at the house in London to keep me company.

    ‘These guys… their lives depended on the decision I was making. If I went to United, they were gone. If I went to Chelsea, they were going to have a career.

    ‘No matter how long it lasted, that was important to me. Just to give them a chance, you know?

    ‘I chose Chelsea, and four lives changed that day.’

    Mikel signed for United from Lyn Oslo in April 2005, but the move was never finalised after he claimed that he had been ‘bullied’ into the deal and wished to join Chelsea instead.

    Chelsea agreed to pay a £12m compensation package to United to allow the move to go through.

    Mikel spent over 10 years at Stamford Bridge before leaving in January 2017. He lifted two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League in 2012.

  • Volgograd clash: Mikel adopts Ronaldo’s approach

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel may have adopted Cristiano Ronaldo’s approach ahead of Nigeria’s second group game against Iceland at the Volgograd on Friday.

    The Tiajin Teda of China captain who is eager to turn the table after the Eagles   lost 2-0 to Croatia in the opening match at the Kaliningrad Stadium, was seen training 10 minutes ahead of official training time on Monday, apparently aimed at improved performance. 

    Mikel who reportedly received a call from Nigeria’s President  Muhammadu Buhari, a few hours to the Croatian tie that ended in defeat received some bashing from the ever critical Nigerian fans and analysts alike for posting a below par  performance against Croatia.

    But in a video posted Monday on Youtube the Nigerian captain was seen burning the calories even before his other teammates arrived the training groundin Essentuki.

    Mikel’s show of added commitment is comparable to that of  Portugal international and Real Madrid forward Cristriano Ronaldo known to have the habit of  to stay behind after training for further personal training both in the club and national levels.

    His extra training some say may be responsible for his sometimes out-of-this-world performance on a good day.  The five time Balloon d Or winner produced a spectacular performance in Portugal’s opener against Spain in Russia scoring a hatrick in the 3-3 thriller, garnishing his feat with breath-taking free-kicks that stunned spectators.

    Meanwhile the Presidential call put to Super Eagles captain just before the tie against Croatia has generated mixed reactions.  While some fans believe it was to serve as a ginger for the team others said it put undue pressure on the boys

    “I thought they said we have psychologist in the team what is their job?  How come they couldn’t underscore that such a call could mount pressure on the team? “Queried a group of fans who expressed their views in a chat with Sportinglife.ng on Eagles performance in Russia so far, recalling that the team visited the President who prayed and wished them well at the Villa before they left for Russia  

    After losing the first match Nigeria will need to pull a win against Iceland to stand a chance of progressing to to the next stage.  The thinking is that with at least three points in the kitty before the last group match against Argentina the Eagles can scale through.

  • Czech friendly: Eagles eager for better performance  

     

    Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel has expressed satisfaction with the support the team received despite playing what has been dubbed below par at the Weekend in Wembley.  The match according to him is an excellent test for the team ahead of the next friendly against Czech Republic on Wednesday. The former Chelsea ace and Tiajin Teda midfielder remained positive ahead of the next shape up match.

    “Thank you for your support this weekend! ??It was a good test against a strong side – onto the next game.  #SoarSuperEagle” he submitted Monday.

    Meanwhile the team engaged in total training in Austria on Monday, with the players apparently determined to post a better outing when the face the Czechs.  Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr had shortly after the match against England hinted that further comprehensive training will be done with a view to performing better, insisting that the team  was poor against the Lions who were however checkmated better in the second half.

    “We just have to train harder making the best use of the few days available before the world cup “said Rohr who announced his final 23-man list after the Wembley showdown leaving Ola Aina and Mikel Agu. 

    Information from the team ‘s base  indicate that all the various depart of the team where specially given extra drills even as the three goalkeepers took their turn to face some well taken close range shots.  Just as Nigeria lost to England, Croatia equally lost to Brazil.  The two teams put all the experiences they have had in the works when the open campaign June 16 at the Kaliningrad Stadium in Russia.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Eagles Captain buys headphones for teammates

     

    Remember Shakespeare?  I don’t think you have forgotten him neither have you forgotten his play Twelfth Night. “If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken and so die”

    Music no doubt is not only the food of love, but has also been found to be the food of concentration depending on the type you listen to.

    Soft rhythm and even sometimes just instrumentals like the Saxophone some say could aid maximum concentration.

    Perhaps that was what Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel was thinking when he decided to buy every member of the World cup bound Super Eagles team a head phone.

    Certainly a headphone is meant to help the user listen to music, video of his choice without necessarily distracting a neighbour who may not at that moment be interested in what you are watching or listening to.  It hands you an opportunity to select and privately listen to inspirational song or track that can help you focus and ultimately serve as ginger.

    The World cup is 14 days away and every team hoping to make an impact will not only need to train well but will also need to be focused. Ability to concentrate is a plus which can aid action on the pitch.

    Captain Obi Mikel wants maximum cooperation and concentration from every player, believing it is the only way they can as a team give their all. A leader is not only reactive but equally proactive.

    A captain who knows his onions will mobilise his team, lift their spirit to achieve set target. Although the former Chelsea ace who now plays and captains Chinese Super League side Tiajin Teda will lead his team in a friendly match against Three Lions of England later today at Wembley, the gesture is not aimed only at today encounter but is expected to sow seed of maximum concentration on the players all through the duration of the world cup in Russia.

    Of course his teammates appreciated his effort. John Ogu revealed this appreciation when he displayed his own headphone on social media.

    “The Super Eagles captain @mikel_john_obi bought each member of the @NGSuperEagles a @beatsbydre head phones said @ogujohnugo at their camp the @HiltonWembley Saturday.

    Eagles will open their campaign at the world cup on June 16 against Croatia before taking on Iceland and Argentina respectively.