The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mikel

  • MEDIA REPORTS: Mikel has two kids from different women secretly

    MEDIA REPORTS: Mikel has two kids from different women secretly

    Chelsea star Mikel Obi has secretly fathered two children with different women in England, according to media reports.

    According to a report in the Mirror of UK, the 28-year-old Nigeria international is a dad to a four-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter after short relationships with the women. He is now dating Russian businesswoman Olga Diyachenko. A spokesperson of Mikel confirmed to The Sun that the Nigeria midfield star is a proud father.

    “This is an entirely private matter. John provides for and cares for his children. And will continue to do so. He asks that their privacy is respected,” his spokesman said.

    He was said to have bought a £500,000 house in 2013 in the Home Counties for his son and mum and is keen to play a part in the boy’s life.

    A source told The Sun: “John also agreed to give her tens of thousands a year in upkeep and agreed I think to give her a new car every three or five years.”

    Mikel also financially supports his daughter who was born after the couple met at a London nightclub in 2013.

    A friend of the girl’s mum added: “John has provided for her and the girl. She seems to have come to money since having the baby and keeping a low profile.”

    Earlier this month, a top official, Obinna Ogba, suggested the Chelsea star get married as this will make him a lot more responsible against the background he is indifferent to the Super Eagles cause.

    Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh recently disclosed he has yet to reach Mikel despite numerous attempts and so he overlooked him for next week’s AFCON clash in Tanzania.

  • No Besiktas move for Mikel

    No Besiktas move for Mikel

    Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that reports linking Mikel Obi with a summer move to Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas are wide of the mark.

    It is being claimed that the Super Eagles star is heading for the Stamford Bridge exit, with the Istanbul side turning their attention on the central midfielder after failing to land the signature of Lucas Leiva from Liverpool.

    But Mikel’s main adviser has rubbished the reports,stating that Mikel is staying put at Cheslea even though his appearances for the Londoners have been limited since the start of this season.

    “I spoke to Mikel on Wednesday and I can tell you he is remaining at Chelsea. He has no plans of joining Besiktas, ” Mikel’s representative told allnigeriasoccer.com.

    In the past, the Nigeria international had been courted by fellow Istanbul powerhouses Galatasaray and Fenerbahce but the moves never happened.

    The former Lyn Oslo man is tied to Chelsea until June 30, 2017.

  • Mikel: I am ready for Nigeria

    Mikel: I am ready for Nigeria

    • Chelsea star offers self for Eagles matches if invited

    Chelsea of England midfielder, John Mikel Obi has revealed that he would continue to make himself available for the Super Eagles in as much as he is invited for future matches.

    Mikel Obi was overlooked by the former Eagles’ head coach, Stephen Keshi in the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifier against Chad and many football analysts have predicted the player’s steady decline and oblivion from international football because of his omission.

    But a close source of the footballer has told SportingLife that Mikel has categorically stated that he would be available for Eagles’ future matches irrespective of either the new head coach, Sunday Ogorchukwu Oliseh visited him in England or not.

    The source also told SportingLife that the  Nigeria International takes the pride in representing his country and has offered himself readily for Eagles next AFCON qualifier against Tanzania and other future matches.

    Oliseh, who was handed over the reins of the senior national team recently is presently in London to have useful deliberations with some Eagles’ players in the English Premier League ahead of the AFCON qualifier with Tanzania in Dar-es-Salam next month.

    It was reported in the media that Oliseh held talks with Victor Moses after Chelsea’s FA Community Shield loss to Arsenal last weekend and that he would also meet with Mikel Obi among others before returning to Nigeria on August 14.

    The source further hinted that Mikel had been earlier disturbed by the situation regarding his future at the Stamford Bridge based club and that now that it has been resolved that he would spend the remaining two seasons of the contract with the former UEFA Champions League champions he is open to playing for Nigeria.

    “Mikel has told me that he would always be available to play for Nigeria any time he is called upon and that he was disturbed by his future situation in Chelsea before now and with that resolved there is nothing pre-occupying his mind again.

    “Many thought that because he was omitted from the Eagles’ game against Chad that his future in the national team is in doubt. He was actually spoken to by the former boss that he didn’t call me because he wanted to give other players the chance to shine too.

    “He is staying in Chelsea till the end of his current contract in 2017 for now and he is looking forward to the new season with calmness.”

    The source further said that Mikel was not happy to lose the FA Community Shield title to Arsenal after they were pinned 1-0 by Alex Chamberlain first half strike last Sunday and that he has forgotten about that loss and he is concentrating on the club’s first game of the season against Swansey City at the Stamford Bridge this weekend.

  • Mikel could face Arsenal

    Mikel could face Arsenal

    Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel could be in action for the league champions and the coach will hope to use him in ensuring his midfield is in good shape.

    The match is set to get underway on Sunday, August 2 at Wembley Stadium .

    Arsenal and Chelsea are set to renew their fierce rivalry when they face off against each other in the FA Community Shield tie this coming weekend. The match sees the English Premier League champions face the reigning FA Cup winners as managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger look to claim bragging rights.

    Wenger’s men have been busy during the off-season as they were participating in a number of friendlies as well as the Emirates Cup where they were rampant in beating Lyon before clinching the cup with a win over Wolfsburg.

    The Gunners have managed to acquire the services of goalkeeper Petr Czech from Chelsea with Wenger praising the keeper.

    Arsenal are also linked to Gabon’s Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but there’s been nothing agreed by the two teams thus far.

    Other transfer rumours suggest the FA Cup holders are linked to Southampton and Kenyan striker Victor Wanyama.

    Looking at the Blues camp, Mourinho could be without the duo of star striker Diego Costa and centre-back Gary Cahill due to injuries.

  • Mikel: Red Bull loss wake-up call for Chelsea

    Mikel: Red Bull loss wake-up call for Chelsea

    Nigeria star Mikel Obi has stated that Chelsea’s 4-2 loss to New York Red Bull in their first pre-season game in the USA was a wake-up call for the team to continue working hard ahead of the new EPL season.

    The former Plateau United midfielder played the first half of the game.

    “Overall, it was a pretty good warm-up game but not the result we hoped for,” he said.

    “We are here to work hard, and we are here to train hard leading to the Community Shield and to the league. I think we’re on the right course.

    “That game was just a one-off game and we know we need to go back to training, buckle up and know the season is starting soon.”

    Jose Mourinho’s side take on Paris St-Germain in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday in continuation of the preparations to defend the EPL crown in the new season.

    However, Mikel has declared he wants to see off his contract with Chelsea.

    The Jos-born star has two years left on his contract with the EPL champions.

    Mikel was offered a lucrative deal by UAE team, Al Ain and was targeted by Turkish Fenerbahce and Galatasaray in the close season.

    He said: “I have two years left on my contract here and want to see them out.

    “I am happy here and we will see what happens. I do want to stay, the manager wants me to stay, so I don’t have any issues.

    “The manager has told me he wants me to stay. He said that and I’m pretty happy to stay.

    “This is going to be my tenth season at the club, next year it will be my 11th. I have been here so long due to the contracts I have signed and I like to be somewhere where I have developed friendships.

    “This is like my family now. Every time I come to work it’s like coming into see my family.

    “I know the whole place, the staff, it is going to be a hard place to leave when my contract runs out and then we will see what happens.”

    Mikel has won 10 major titles since he joined The Blues from Lyn Oslo in 2006.

  • Why Chelsea shouldn’t sell Mikel

    Why Chelsea shouldn’t sell Mikel

    This year, Chelsea are lucky to have one of their key players back in the team.

    Maybe it’s a reflection of the Blues’ small-time transfer activity so far, maybe it really is a testament to his importance to the team – either way, there’s a case for praising the decision to keep John Obi Mikel as their move of the summer and I’m making it.

    The news that Mikel was on the verge of ending his nine-year stint at Chelsea may not have sent shockwaves across football, but Jose Mourinho deserves applause for blocking the sale after two clubs from the United Arab Emirates showed interest.

    A winner of every possible trophy with the club despite only being about a four on the scale of Chelsea legends, the Nigerian midfielder is an immensely valuable squad member and I would be staggered if he doesn’t prove too good for a money-spinning cameo.

    Chelsea touched down in Montreal on Wednesday for the crucial training and public relations exercise of a pre-season tour. But as the Premier League champions begin their eighth visit to North America in 12 years, this trip stands out for a shortage of glamorous debutants.

    Of course, the recent recruits may help Chelsea stay ahead of their rivals’ expanding squads, with Manchester United strengthening like there’s no tomorrow and Manchester City making a statement by signing Raheem Sterling for a record £44 million.

    However, the bottom line is that Chelsea are yet to improve their first team this summer. The new contingent is likely to play more often in pre-season than the remainder of the campaign.

    Which brings us back to keeping Mikel. Caution on legs, the holding midfielder doesn’t start every match either, and he has occasionally been closer to woeful than world-beating. Yet, amassing 339 appearances as one of the team’s most used substitutes, Mikel shows that you don’t need to play 90 minutes to make a difference.

    Unlike Chelsea’s fresh faces, the 28-year-old adds another dimension to the side. He reads the game magnificently, bringing tough tackling and selfless discipline, not just snuffing out fires but quenching them – all in moments where matches and titles are won.

    Whether providing a platform for Nemanja Matic or filling the ‘Makelele’ role on his own, Mikel has helped the Blues hold on to more leads than you can count. His experience, plus the fact he has fitted the plans of nine Chelsea managers, is drastically underrated.

    It’s easy to underestimate the number of times he protected three points for table-topping teams under Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, while his midfield displays at pivotal stages of Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League triumph, especially in the final, were unforgettable.

    As the squad prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona – two champions of their domestic leagues – out in the United States, you feel that Mikel is the one player Chelsea have secured this summer who could bear a kind of influence on the results.

    Letting Mikel go would have been an enormous mistake. If we’re honest, Chelsea could do with more men like him.

     

    Culled from www.metro.co.uk.

     

  • PRE-SEASON TOUR: Moses, Mikel hit Canada

    Four Nigerians John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Dominic Solanke,  and Ola Aina were part of Chelsea’s contingent to Canada in continuation of the Premier League champions pre-season tour.  The team was seen boarding a plane Wednesday afternoon with midfielder

    Mikel Obi bidding goodbye to anyone who cares to notice.  Mikel’s position in the team in recent time has been neither here nor there with suitors coming to seek the services of the 28-year old whose playing time at the Stamford Bridge continues to reduce by the day.  The Blues plan to use Montreal as their training base for the next two weeks as Manager Mourinho shapes the team ahead of the new season with three international Champions Cup fixtures against New York Red Bulls , Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

    ‘Pre-season, here we come!’ wrote Captain Terry as the squad, along with boss Mourinho posed for a photograph before leaving for Canada.

    Victor Moses who spent last season on loan at Stoke will be hoping to prove his worth and fights for a place when the season begins.

    The Blues will travel to New Jersey to face the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, July 22 at their 25,000-seater home stadium before a clash against PSG in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, July 25.

    Mourinho’s side will then head to Washington D.C. to take on Champions League winners Barcelona on Tuesday, July 28.

  • Mikel gets Chelsea’s €35m tag

    Mikel gets Chelsea’s €35m tag

    Barclays English Premier League champions Chelsea’s management has slammed a staggering €35 millon tag on Nigerian international John mikel Obi, if he hopes to leave Stamford Bridge for any clubside during the current transfer window.

    Indications to this effect emerged on Sunday morning when a website AA cupiously quoted Fenerbahçe president Aziz Yildirim has saying in Turkey that Chelsea’s management asked him to cough out €35 million for Mikel. The Fenerbache president didn’t say if he would meet the €35million  asking price for Mikel or look elsewhere for his replacement.

    But agency reports on Saturday night revealed that Fenerbache’s managemnt have turned their eyes to another Chelsea star Ramires as a replacement for their departed central midfielder Emre Belözoglu.

    It remains to be seen if Mikel would leave Chelsea this season with the large number of European clubs seeking his signature or see out his contract which expires in 2017, when the Nigerian would walk out of Chelsea as a free agent.

    With 26 Barclays English Premier League game under his belt, many pundits feel strongly that mikel should move out of Chelsea, having won all the English and European club trophies that are available.

  • Mikel may join Gyan at Al Ain

    Mikel may join Gyan at Al Ain

    John Obi Mikel, the Chelsea midfielder, could be on his way to joining Asamoah Gyan at Al Ain next season, according to media reports in the Nigerian’s home country.

    The AfricanFootball.com website has claimed Mikel’s representatives were scheduled to open negotiations with Al Ain this weekend for a possible transfer of the Nigerian star to the Arabian Gulf League.

    Mikel, 28, has been with the English Premier League giants Chelsea since moving to the London club in 2006 from Norway’s Lyn Fotball and his current contract runs until June, 2017. But AfricanFootball.com claims the Nigeria international “is now considering his future away from Stamford Bridge after playing a bit role in the past two seasons with The Blues”.

    “Mikel’s representatives will begin discussions with Al Ain on Friday in Dubai over a possible transfer,” the website quoted a source close to the player as saying. “The player has sanctioned the meeting and may even be part of it. It is now left to be seen what the club will put on the table for him.”

  • Operation bomb Chad: Keshi drops Mikel, Emenike

    Operation bomb Chad: Keshi drops Mikel, Emenike

    •Invites Enyeama, Musa, 13 others to Eagles’ camp

    For the first time in a long while, Stephen Keshi has dropped Chelsea star, John Mikel Obi, from the list of foreign-based players for the June 13, 2017 Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifier against Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

    An indication to this development emerged a few days ago when Keshi told SportingLife that Mikel was the only foreign-based player that did not pick his calls when he made efforts to contact some of the players ahead of next month’s clash.

    Another prominent Europe-based player missing in the squad is Fernbache striker, Emmanuel Emenike, who has endured a turbulent season with his club in the Turkish Super League.

    It would be recalled that Emenike was not part of the squad that played in the Eagles’ last two friendlies against the Cranes of Uganda and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in March this year.

    However, the Big Boss kept faith with first choice goalkeeper and skipper Vincent Enyeama and 14 other overseas –based professionals.

    The three –time FIFA World Cup star is joined by defenders Godfrey Oboabona and Kenneth Omeruo, midfielders Ogenyi Onazi and Babatunde Michael and forward Ahmed Musa, who were all at last year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.

    Exciting right back Leon Balogun, Israel –based John Ogu, former Switzerland junior international Steven Ukoh, China –based Aaron Samuel and Odion Ighalo, whose 20 league goals helped Championship side Watford FC to the English Premiership, have also been called alongside former junior international Rabiu Ibrahim.

    New faces William Troost-Ekong, a defender based in The Netherlands, Kingsley Madu of AS Trencin in Slovakia and Portugal–based Anderson Esiti complete the list.

     

    THE FULL LIST

    Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Lille OSC, France)

    Defenders: Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough FC, England); Leon Balogun (Darmstadt 98, Germany); William Troost-Ekong (FC Dordrecht, The Netherlands); Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia)

     

    Midfielders: Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva); Babatunde Michael (Volyn Lutsk, Ukraine); Rabiu Ibrahim (AS Trencin, Slovakia); Anderson Esiti (Estoril FC, Portugal); Steven Ukoh (Biel-Bienne FC, Switzerland)

     

    Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Aaron Samuel (Guangzhou R & F, China); Odion Ighalo (Watford FC, England)