Team
Nigeria Captain to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, John Mikel Obi, has
given insights on his maiden appearance in the sporting showpiece.
John Mikel Obi
In an exclusive interview with his club, Chelsea FC’s official
website, Team Nigeria Captain to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, John Mikel
Obi, has given insights about the good, bad and the ugly sides of his
Olympic experience in terms of not having the best of preparations, as
well as the treatment of the Nigerian players by the nations government
and football authories.
Below is the full interview we culled from ChelseaFC.com;
Mikel, welcome back. Tell us about the summer…
‘I hadn’t played in an Olympics before, I missed out in 2008 in
Beijing and in 2012 we didn’t qualify for London, so I spoke to the club
and got their permission to go. It was an amazing experience to play
with the Under-23s and lead the team, being the captain of the nation
leading it to Rio. I’m very, very proud.
‘As a footballer you probably only get one opportunity to play in
the Olympics, it was a great experience and the Brazilian fans were
amazing too. They supported us all the way and wanted us to do well, to
make the final. It was one of the best tournaments I’ve had.’
As the squad’s foremost player and one of only two aged
over 23, you must have been something of a father figure to your younger
team-mates?
‘Yes, it was amazing. Leading the team not just in football but
athletics, basketball, everything, was amazing for me. What an honour to
be able to do that, and to represent my country is something I’m always
proud of.
‘The boys were absolutely amazing and I hope to see them all playing at the top level soon.’
The team had problems in the build-up, to do with financing. What happened in your training camp in the US?
‘It wasn’t a great experience in the build-up in Atlanta. There was
no food for the guys, no bus to go to training, no pitch to train on.
‘Coming into the team I tried to help as much as I can. The boys
had suffered for two years, working very hard trying to play in Rio. I
wanted to help as much as I could and they all say they owe me. It’s a
great achievement that we managed to go there and win a medal.’
Your relationship with Samson Siasia, the coach, must have helped?
‘We have known each other for a long time. We know how to
communicate with each other and it made for a good atmosphere with the
rest of the team on the training pitch. We tried to calm the players,
make them see the bigger picture and not let external things influence
us.
That first game against Japan was a rollercoaster. What happened around that 5-4 win?
‘It was a crazy one! We just came off the plane two or three hours
before the game, went to the hotel, put our bags down, ate and headed
straight to the stadium. Not the typical match preparation. So it was a
crazy game, lots of goals, and one we were very happy to win though. To
go from there and win the second game helped us settle into the
tournament.’
And you found the net with a tidy finish against Denmark in the quarter-final…
‘I always do when I play for the national team! I tend to push a
bit further forward and express myself a little bit more, so there is
more responsibility to create chances, and if I can get one or two goals
here and there it’s great.’
Defeat to Germany and then the bronze medal match against
Honduras. Where does it sit in comparison to your other career
achievements?
‘It ranks up there. Obviously the Champions League is the Champions
League and winning the African Nations and Premier League are massive,
but this is up there with those trophies. I can’t express how proud and
happy I am to have achieved this.
‘The reception at home was great. The Nigerian people were very happy, it was the only medal we won and they were very proud.’
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Hot GIST Channel Latest Updates - @Hot Gist
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Gospel World (which is also owned by Tony Gists) youtube Channel Latest Updates - @Gospel world
Are you on audio mack? Follow Tonygists on audio mack to listen and download to the latest Mfm sermons Latest Updates - @Tonygists
Follow Tonygists on LinkedIn to get more jobs opportunities Latest Updates - @Tonygists
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Honest Ose Channel Latest Updates - @Honest Ose
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Honest Web Solutions Channel Latest Updates - @Honest Web Solutions
Are You On youtube? subscribe to Xtremely Honest Channel Latest Updates - @Xtremely Honest
Are You On Twitter? Follow Us Now For Latest Updates - @tonygists
Are You On FACEBOOK? Like Our Page For Latest Updates - tonygists
Are You On FACEBOOK? Join Our Group For Latest Updates And Interactions - TonyGists
© 2024 Tonygists | Portions are © 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.
