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Tag: mikel obi

  • Transfer: It’s easy for Chelsea to get Osimhen’s deal done – Mikel Obi

    Transfer: It’s easy for Chelsea to get Osimhen’s deal done – Mikel Obi

    Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been tipped for a move to Chelsea this summer by his former international team-mate John Obi Mikel.

    Osimhen’s £63M release clause in his contract, which can be activated this summer, makes it almost certain that he will leave the club for a new challenge as several top sides are linked with a move for him. The 26-year-old has spent this season on loan at Galatasaray, scoring an impressive 26 goals in 30 matches across all competitions.

    The Nigerian international was subject to an approach from Chelsea last summer but talks broke down and he ended up going to Turkey where he has certainly found his feet. Mikel is adamant that the striker wants a move to Stamford Bridge under manager Enzo Maresca who is in need of attacking talent.

    “(Chelsea) almost got the deal done for Osimhen last summer,” Mikel told Sky Sports News. “The club wanted the player and the player wanted to come as well.

    “I know exactly where we stopped. If we have to pick it up again in the summer, it’s just pretty easy to get it done because the player really wants to come to the football club.”

    Mikel believes that Chelsea should be desperate to sign the Nigerian international if they are serious about challenging for the Premier League title which has been out of their grasp for a number of years now despite major investment.

    “If you’re talking about a striker to come in and help Chelsea Football Club, you have to talk about Alexander Isak and you have to talk about Victor Osimhen,” he continued. “For me, these are the top two strikers. If we were able to get one of those guys they would definitely help for next season in terms of being able to compete to win the Premier League.”

  • Jackson hits back at Mikel Obi: ‘We’re killing ourselves for Africa

    Jackson hits back at Mikel Obi: ‘We’re killing ourselves for Africa

    Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has responded to former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi, telling him to “shut his mouth” after Mikel’s harsh criticism of the club’s strikers.

    Jackson expressed his displeasure on Instagram following Chelsea’s dominant victory over Wolves, where he scored within 98 seconds and assisted Cole Palmer for a second goal in the first half.

     

    Mikel Obi had criticized the 23-year-old Senegalese forward after Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Manchester City, claiming Jackson lacked the quality Chelsea needed.

    In response, Jackson tagged Mikel in an Instagram Story after the Wolves game and wrote, “Shut your mouth, don’t talk sh*t, we are killing ourselves for Africa.”

  • UCL: Obi Mikel tips Dortmund to beat Real Madrid

    UCL: Obi Mikel tips Dortmund to beat Real Madrid

    Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has tipped Borussia Dortmund to beat Real Madrid in next month’s Champions League final.

    The two clubside will slug it out on June , for the biggest prize in club football.

    Mikel Obi, who won the trophy with Chelsea, has told TribalFootball that Dortmund deserve to win more than Real Madrid.

    To be honest, I really hope that Borussia Dortmund will win the UCL final. They deserve it more than Real Madrid.

    “When you see that players like Kroos, Nacho, Carvajal and Modric won 5 trophies of the UCL it is a bit unfair, because these players are not even close to being the best in their positions.

    “This shows that trophies can be misleading. I can name 10 players in the same positions that are better than these footballers,” Mikel Obi said.

  • AFCON 2023: Mikel Obi tips Super Eagles to win trophy

    AFCON 2023: Mikel Obi tips Super Eagles to win trophy

    Former Chelsea of England midfielder and Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has predicted that Nigeria will win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, billed to start in  Ivory Coast on January 13th.

    Obi also  tipped Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to finish as the tournament’s best player.

    “Nigeria will win the 2023 AFCON and Victor Osimhen will win player of the tournament,” Mikel told  CNN World Sport.

    “He [Victor Osimhen] is on fire. For me, he looks a little bit like Didier Drogba; he scores goals, he holds up play—a strong, young, and energetic striker.

    “When it comes to the striking department, I think right now we are blessed. We are blessed with a lot of players there. [Taiwo] Awoniyi is doing well for Nottingham Forest and also for the national team. We also have Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen, who is doing really well. So we are quite blessed when it comes to striking force. But we just have to fix some little issues with the defence and goalkeeping. I think if we can be able to do that, we’ve got a very good chance.”

    The Super Eagles camp in Abu Dhabi has increased to 19 with the arrival of Nwabili and Chukwueze.

    The Super Eagles are drawn in Group A alongside the hosts, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.

    Nigeria will play its first game on the 14th of January against Equatorial Guinea.

     

  • Why Gerrard was the best I faced in EPL – Mike Obi

    Why Gerrard was the best I faced in EPL – Mike Obi

    Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel rates Steven Gerrard as the best player he faced in the Premier League.

    The Nigerian concedes a clash with the Liverpool legend was always a battle.

    “I’ve always said my toughest opponent in the Premier League was Stevie G,” he told Rio Ferdinand’s Five podcast. “You remember when he started playing as a No.10 for Liverpool, with Fernando Torres up front? Oh my God!”

    The former Nigeria international continued: “Quick, technically very good, strong, powerful, he could tackle as well. You’re looking at a No.10 who could tackle! I know he didn’t play in that position for very long, but he was the guy who was very, very difficult to play against. He knew how to find the space in between you and the defenders.

    “Yeah, for me, Stevie G was the guy, he was that good.”

  • Plateau gov, Muftwang appoints Mikel Obi, M.I Abaga as Advisers

    Plateau gov, Muftwang appoints Mikel Obi, M.I Abaga as Advisers

    Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has approved the appointment of John Mikel Obi, a popular Nigerian Professional footballer, as his Honorary Adviser on Sports.

    He also approved the appointment of Rapper, Jude Abaga, popularly known as M.I as Honorary Adviser on Entertainment and Creativity.

    The appointments are contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Mr Gyang Bere, on Thursday in Jos.

    The governor described their appointments as part of his administration’s resolve to rebuild the foundation of excellence for the state.

    He also approved the appointment of Prof. Christopher Yilwan as the Chief Medical Director of the Plateau Specialist Hospital and Dr Agabus Manasseh as the Director General, Plateau State Contributory Health Care Management Agency.

    The governor also approved the appointments of Mr. Mathew Dawap, as General Manager, Plateau Mineral Development Company Ltd., and Mrs. Helen Dabup, Executive Secretary, Local Government Service Pension Board.

    The appointees also include Mr Ishaku Jilemsam, Programme Manager, Plateau Agricultural Development Programme; Mr Samuel Gwott, General Manager  Plateau Express Service, Mr Hart Bankat- General Manager, Jos Metropolitan Development Board and Mrs Olivia Dazyem, Special Adviser on Gender and Chairperson Implementation Committee of Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission.

    Hon Alex Chup, Chairman, Teacher’s Service Commission; Hon Sunday Amuna, Acting Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Prof Ishaya Pam, Honorary Adviser on Healthcare and members of Abuja Liaison Directorate, amongst others.

  • Mikel Obi to feature for Chelsea legends against Bayern Munich

    Mikel Obi to feature for Chelsea legends against Bayern Munich

    Former Chelsea Midfielder John Mikel Obi, will be making a return to his former club when Bayern Munich legends take on Chelsea legends in a charity game in September.

    The Blues team will be drawn from the squad that won the UEFA Champions League in 2012.

    Recall that Chelsea won the champions league in 2012 after beating Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalties at the Allianz Arena.

    The encounter will give the players chance to meet and reminisce on the memories of that special night in Munich.

    Tagged “Legends of Europe”, the game is put together in remembrance of Chelsea legend, Gianluca Vialli who passed away last year.

    The Chelsea team will be coached by Roberto Di Matteo and captained by John Terry.

    Mikel announced his retirement from active football in September 2022.

  • How we played football with Mikel Obi in Jos – P- Square

    How we played football with Mikel Obi in Jos – P- Square

    Peter and Paul popularly known as P square have revealed that they played alongside Mikel Obi many years ago in Jos.

    P-square made this revelation when granting an interview on cable TV, CNN and they gave reasons why they abandoned their dreams of becoming professional footballers.

    According to them, Peter  featured in Pepsi Academy alongside Mikel Obi in Jos.

    However, Paul gave up on his goal of becoming a goalkeeper due to his age. Paul said, “We played football, Peter played with Mikel [Obi] at Pepsi Academy. I was a keeper, but I gave up because I could tell age was coming.

    But then Nigeria won this football, Atlanta Olympic 96′ I think. Their interest in football was rekindled when Nigeria won the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and they were inspired by the rewards given to the footballers by the then-president.

    However Peter believes entertainment and music precisely will take him to greater places around the world, and so it was time for him to leave being local. “But remember, at the same time we were having this situation whereby I was playing for Pepsi Academy. So, if we were trying to wear boots, and I’m like, ‘I’m gonna remain local. Entertainment is about to take me internationally.’

    Few years along the line, they both realized that music was their calling and chose to focus on it.

    According to them, if they had pursued football they would have retired by now, because it’s a sport that allows players  to engage in it for just short period of time

    Both  Peter and Paul are still doing music with no retirement date in sight.

  • Hazard laziest player I’ve ever seen – Mikel Obi

    Hazard laziest player I’ve ever seen – Mikel Obi

    John Obi Mikel admits former Chelsea teammate Eden Hazard was among the most unprofessional players he played with.

    Hazard is now facing the exit door at Real Madrid after three frustrating years in Spain.

    Mikel Obi told Dubai Eye: “Everyone wants to join the starting eleven when the weekend comes and there is no place for you who think: ‘I do not want to train today’. The only player I saw doing it and who got away with it was Eden Hazard.

    “He has never trained. The worst. The laziest football player I’ve ever seen in my life. But then came the weekend and he produced and was the match’s lyricist.

    “I actually think that when you look at him now he has lost a lot of weight. But when he was in Chelsea … the night before a match after dinner he could sit there for half an hour eating rice pudding. He likes his food.

    “Then he went to bed, woke up on a Saturday morning, and was there, produced. We just let him do what he wanted.”

  • John Terry reacts as Mikel Obi retires from professional football

    John Terry reacts as Mikel Obi retires from professional football

    Former Chelsea captain, John Terry, has reacted to his ex-colleague, John Obi Mikel, retirement from professional football after a trophy-laden career.

    Obi announced his retirement on Tuesday via his social media account.

    The 35-year-old footballer, who has a 20-year professional career and played a key role as Chelsea FC secured a first Champions League trophy in 2012, made the announcement on Instagram.

    Before his retirement, Obi played for Kuwait SC.

    “There is a saying that ‘all good things must come to an end, and for my professional football career, that day is today,” he wrote.

    Adding: “I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and more importantly the human it has helped shape.

    “All of this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, managers, clubs, coaches, teammates and most importantly my ever-loyal fans. You supported me through my highs and lows, even on days when I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you.”

    Obi encouraged those he may have inspired never to give up on their dreams.

    “This is not goodbye, it’s the start of another journey, another chapter of my life. I look forward to what the future holds and I hope you will walk with me. Thank you,” Obi asserted.

    The midfielder won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Europa League, and the AFCON, among others.

    In recent years, Obi played for Middlesbrough and Stoke City in the English Championship.

    He rose to prominence representing Nigeria at the 2005 FIFA U-17 FIFA World Cup in the Netherlands as the Flying Eagles finished second to a Lionel Messi-led Argentina side.

    John Terry congratulates Mikel Obi

    During Terry’s successful 11-year stint with Chelsea, Mikel Obi played with Terry.

    Terry, who is now a development coach at Stamford Bridge, wrote on Instagram: “What a great career my friend, it was a pleasure to play and share a dressing room with you. Love you Georgie Boy.”

    “Thanks, Georgie boy, love ya old boy. You made us winners in that dressing room. And loads of banter, thank you,” Mikel responded to Terry

    ThenewsGuru.com reports that Mikel began his career with local club Plateau United, before joining Norwegian club Lyn at the age of 17 in 2004.

    In 2006, he made a controversial transfer to English club Chelsea after Manchester United claimed they had already signed him.

    He stayed with Chelsea for 11 years, before moving to China with Tianjin TEDA in 2017. After two years in China, he returned to England on a short-term deal with Middlesbrough, before joining Trabzonspor on a free transfer in July 2019.

    Mikel moved back to England in August 2020 joining Stoke City.

    In a 14-year international career between 2005 and 2019, he played 91 times for Nigeria, scoring six goals