Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has spoken candidly about the terrifying moment he discovered his father had been abducted.
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Several hours before Nigeria’s final group game at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the former Chelsea player was informed of the situation. Mr. Michael Obi was abducted by gunmen while he was traveling on the Maiduguri-Enugu Expressway, and the kidnappers wanted a N10 million ransom.
As his brother delivered the devastating news, Mikel’s was getting ready for the important match against Argentina.
Two hours prior to the game, I received a phone call from my brother informing me that my father had been abducted. I didn’t know where to begin because I was getting ready for the game when my phone started ringing, and I later discovered that it was my brother. “I was shivering and wondering who I was going to talk to. I chatted with him and inquired about their requests. I debated whether or not to play the game for nearly 20 minutes.
I finally made the decision to participate because I was the team captain. The final Group A game was against Argentina, and we needed to win to advance or not. I therefore couldn’t discuss my issue with the dressing room because doing so would make everyone feel discouraged. After the game, I told them.
“Since I kept drinking water, I occasionally feared I may puke on the field. I was worried that my dad may end up dead.” The father had been abducted twice, but authorities were able to free him.
As previously said, Mikel Obi is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished players and won the famous UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in addition to two English Premier League championships.
The great Jay Jay Okocha is not one of the top five most decorated Nigerian footballers of all time, despite his magnificent goals and amazing ability. In his prime, Jay Jay captained the Super Eagles and was a member of the team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations. Jay Jay has been dubbed “so excellent they named him twice.”
