Mikel Got Keshi’s Blessings To Win At The Rio Olympics

Chelsea and Super Eagles star John Mikel Obi, will be among the stars that would be at the Rio 2016 Olympics after he was shortlisted to be one of the two over-aged players that would make the squad for the summer Olympics in South America. The 29-years-old Chelsea midfielder got the blessings of the late Super Eagles coach during the 2013 African Cup of nations, and at the World cup the duo toed the same direction when asked to comment on the goalless draw Nigeria played against Iran. He is expected to replicate such at the Olympic with coach Samson Siasia, even though the late former Eagles gaffer would not be on ground to watch his performance.

Mikel was part of the success story of the Nigeria at the African cup of nations in 2013, particularly in the quarter-final match against Cote d'Ivoire where he was particularly at his best, and he hopes to extend such performance to the Olympics. Mikel once refused an offer by Coach Samson Siasia to be part of the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where the team won silver in far east China, but later pleaded to be part of the Rio 2016 squad which was eventually granted by same coach with the zeal and determination to be part of another Nigeria's success story. Though Mikel have earlier participated in two of Fifa's most recognized football tournament for men, which is the Fifa World Cup in 2014 and the Fifa Confederation's Cup in 2013,but he is yet to win any medal in any of the two. Winning an Olympic gold at Rio de Janeiro will make him relaxed even if he considers retirement before the 2018 World Cup, after winning the African Cup of nations title with the late Stephen Keshi.