John Obi Mikelformer Nigerian midfielder for Chelsea, did not mince his words for those who consider African national teams to be Serie B choices. In fact, in his podcast ‘The Obi One‘, the 37-year-old began by explaining how some African players much prefer to play for more prestigious teams, such as England and France.
The story. “When I was at Chelsea, the Nigerian Football Federation asked me: ‘Can you try to convince them to play for their country?’ First with the players, then with their parents. And I said to them: ‘You are from Nigeria, your mother and father are from there, why don’t you represent your country?’. And the answer was: ‘No, we want to represent England or France.’ A choice that Mikel did not approve of at all, who at this point could no longer see eye to eye and lashed out at those who generally wait a certain age in the hope of being called up for a European team, rather than representing an African country.
The broadside. “They wait and wait and when they get to 25 or 26 and they don’t get the England call, then they call Nigeria or Cameroon. And so we are second choice. We shouldn’t be treated like that, we are not second choice. You should be proud of your African roots and representing your country. I want the best to play in Africa. If you make a decision, stick to it, sit back and wait, but don’t wait until you’re 29 or 30, when you’re not at your best. F*** off, mate!” he concluded.