Former captain of the senior national team of Nigeria John Obi Mikel has replied former coach of the team Sunday Oliseh who attacked the former captain in an interview few weeks ago.
Oliseh was Mikel’s coach in the senior national team of Nigeria for a brief period and according to Oliseh they didn’t get along as Mikel didn’t play to how he wanted him to hence his decision to bench him.
Mikel wasn’t considered as captain by Oliseh after his fall out with ex captain Vincent Enyeama. He rather went for Ahmed Musa. Oliseh went further as saying Wilfred Nididi is to me a better defensive midfielder than Mikel.
While speaking on this time with the senior national team of Nigeria Mikel veered to his final days in the team where ex coach Gernot Rohr claimed he wants happy that he lost his spot to Alex Iwobi at AFCON 2019, he also addressed the interview granted by Oliseh.
“Few things happened towards my final days in the national team and I was very careful not to react in a way that will affect the group. I thought I had a good relationship with the coach (Gernot Rohr) but after I left, I read somethings in the media that there were issues between Alex Iwobi and I during the Nations Cup in Egypt”, he told the online edition of Thisday newspaper.
“Unfortunately, it was the opposite because I have a solid relationship with the player just like others in the national team. I read it just the same way I learnt few days ago about my disagreement with Sunday Oliseh when he was the coach. All these are mere distraction and will not want to join issues with anyone. Respect is the key rather than unnecessary attention”, he concluded.
