Former Super Eagles and Chelsea star, Mikel John Obi has issued a stern warning to footballers of Nigerian descent who ply their trade abroad, stating that Nigeria is not a second option.
Obi made this known in a video posted on Friday morning while appearing on his The Obi One Podcast show.
Obi, who recently interviewed his former coach, Carlo Ancelotti, opined that any football talent of Nigerian or African descent should never treat the country or continent of their roots as a second option.
Obi said, “I’ve talked so much about players not representing their African roots. We’ve held meetings with these kids, with their parents and said, ‘Listen, you are Nigerian, your dad is Nigeria, your mum is Nigerian, why don’t you represent your fatherland, Nigeria? We wanna play for England, France, whatever is, and then they wait, and then they keep waiting and keep waiting.
“When they get to 25 or 26 and they don’t get a call up from England then they call Nigeria. We shouldn’t be treated as second options. We’re not second options. You should be proud of your African roots, you should be proud to represent your African country.”
The imprint of Nigerian footballers is scattered across the globe, with a notable diaspora of talent spanning various continents. From the elite leagues in Europe to emerging competitions in Asia and the Americas, Nigerian players are distinguished by their presence and influence.
