Kadiri Ikhana has told Completesports.com that he’s extremely delighted with retiree Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, who he describes as a ‘great guy’ whose time at the national team was without ‘any shred of controversy’.
Obi, 32, who has sealed a move to Turkish side, Trabzonspor, announced his international retirement after the Super Eagles 1-0 win against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia to bag the bronze medal of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
“I’m happy for him. He’s a great guy. His tenure in the national team was without any shred of controversy,” Ikhana, himself a winner of the AFCON in 1980 told Completesports.com.
“He deserves to be celebrated and I hope you guys in the press should celebrate him.
“He served the country at all levels of the national teams; U-17, U-20, U-23 and the senior national team, Super Eagles.
“That’s an incredible record which I believe one, except, perhaps, Nwankwo Kanu, has matched.
“And he even captained the team. With a FIFA U-20 World Cup silver (in 2005), Olympic Games Soccer silver at Beijing 2008, AFCON gold medal in 2013 and now AFCON bronze (in 2019), I think Mikel has done well enough for his country and deserves every accolade he can get,” Ikhana concluded.
The 2003 CAF Coach of the Year further pays tribute to the former Chelsea midfielder, noting he chose to throw in the towel when the ovation was loudest.
By Sab Osuji
2 Comments
What an envious career! All the best in your endeavours, Mikel!
Mikel never went to 2008 Beijing Olympics though. He had commitment issues with Siasia then and he dropped him from the squad. Ikhana or the writer flopped. That is why Siasia compensated him in 2016 Olympics, where he won Bronze medal