John Obi Mikel was honoured today by being appointed the captain of Nigeria. Somewhat surprisingly, Chelsea FC fans held back with their tongue-in-cheek comments.
Chelsea FC midfielder John Obi Mikel was rightly named the new captain of the Nigerian national football team earlier today. In a press conference with head coach Samson Siasia and outgoing captain Ahmed Susa, Mikel was bestowed with the honour.
Siasia forged a legendary career with the national side and was reappointed as the head coach in February, almost five years after he was sacked from the same job. In one his first moves since taking up the role again, Siasia revealed that he wanted the longest-serving squad member to wear the armband.
With 72 caps to his name, Mikel was the man at the top of the list and the captaincy has been handed over in amicable circumstances. The boss reportedly met with both players last night to explain the situation and, speaking to ESPN FC, Musa fully accept the reasoning behind the decision.
"Mikel is the oldest serving player in the team and it is the right thing for him to have the armband. This is just to correct what was done in the past."
More chelsea fc: Chelsea FC’s 50 Greatest Players Of All-Time
Mikel was overlooked by previous manager Sunday Oliseh, who had a relatively tumultuous eight months in charge.
Chelsea fans have taken to Twitter to congratulate the 28-year-old for this overdue recognition. Mikel has frequently been the butt of jokes from Blues fans, but the striking lack of wisecracks are an indication of the (deep) underlying respect that they have for the decade-long Chelsea midfielder.
John Obi Mikel is the new captain of Nigeria. The movement is growing. #ChurchOfMikel https://t.co/b516RBHSdv
— Chels HQ (@Chels_HQ) March 24, 2016
Mikel has been a great servant for Chelsea, but rumours are suggesting that his time at Stamford Bridge may come to an end this summer. On the back of the recent Chinese exodus, clubs in the Chinese Super League are targeting the Blues veteran as they look to import more talent.
The reality of the situation is that the money that these outfits offer will certainly entice both Chelsea and Mikel into accepting a deal. It would, though, be a shame. The Nigerian has been a selfless squad player over the years and has quietly been one of the most reliable talents. He often gets bandied around as some sort of joke, but you cannot spend a decade at Chelsea and survive numerous different managers without possessing true quality.
Next: Chelsea FC transfer rumours: Edinson Cavani speculation fuelled by comments
Still only 28-years-old, even if he doesn’t stay with the Blues, hopefully he will choose to stick around competitive European football for a few more years.