Former Super Eagles’ captain, John Mikel Obi has scolded the current set of players in Nigeria’s national team, saying they have to be wise in any battle they want to fight against the authorities.
Sports247 reports that Mikel was speaking in reaction to the recent training boycott that the Eagles embarked on before playing Gabon at the 2026 World Cup qualification play-offs in Morocco.
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He stressed that the players did not fight their battle in the appropriate manner and posited that the poor timing of their protest ensured that they did not have any support.
‘The Catalyst’ added, “That was a situation that should not have come up at all. Whichever way you look at it, whether it was resolved or not, the situation would affect the players.”
He further recounted that, though the Eagles defeated Gabon massively in their first match, a lot of negative vibes had already started rolling around their camp on account of envy.
He reasoned further, “That situation shouldn’t have happened. A lot of negative things happened that shouldn’t have come up. Players skipping training before such an important game
“You can’t do that. The players said it was for the money they were being owed from the Africa Cup of Nations, and they wanted to be paid before they entered for the first match.”
He stressed that it was not the right approach to boycott training with such an important game just round the corner, such that the effects, spray and aftermath of that action finally caught up with him.
“You have to choose your battle wisely as players. When you find yourself in this kind of situation, the best is to resolve it.
“You have two play-off games coming. So, I just think the situation shouldn’t have come up at all. Whichever way you see it, the situation should have been resolved before they got to Ghana,” Michael affirmed.
