Football

Mikel Obi has done well for Super Eagles – Coach Siasia

Published

6 years ago

February 25, 2018

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By Esther Egbe

Former Super Eagles handler and ex-international, Samson Siasia told National Daily that there was nothing special in his love for the Super Eagles Captain, Mikel Obi.

Siasia made the assertion on the reason for his preference for Obi who he took to the 2016 Olympics and returned with a silver.

He said Obi had done creditably well both at the club level and the national team.

Siasia explained that Obi was a player at par with Real Madrid ace midfielder, Luka Modric and other best midfielder in the world.

Mikel represented Nigeria in the U-20 at the FIFA World Youth Championship and won the silver ball behind Lionel Messi and made his debut for the national team on Aug. 17, 2005.

Mikel was, however, called to represent the U-23 team by Siasia for the last Olympic qualifier in a must win match but failed to show up, this led the coach to axe him from the team.

The dependable defensive midfielder, however, got his chance to play in the Olympics as a captain in Brazil, winning the bronze medal after defeating Honduras 3-2.

Mikel was also named Chelsea “Young Player of the Year’’ in 2007 and 2008, and he was African, “Young Player of the Year’’ in 2005 and 2006,Samson concluded.