Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi opens up on untold difficulties and pressure faced by successful African footballers npflupdates.com reports.
Mikel Obi in a recent session with former Manchester United and England international defender Rio Ferdinand explained that most African nuclear and extended families mount pressure on their relative footballers.
Also read: Mikel Obi : I will Be Happy To Rejoin Nigeria For The AFCON And W’Cup Qualifiers
According to Mikel, when a footballer comes from Africa and becomes successful, the success is not his alone, as his cousins and other relatives tends to show up.
Mikel Obi talks about unnecessary family pressures on successful African footballers
“When you come from Africa, and this is what we don’t speak a lot about, when you make money, it’s not your money. You have all these relatives, cousins whatever you call it,’ Mikel Obi said.
When u make it in the game…. Beware! 🧨💰👀 pic.twitter.com/Xv04xpywsp
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) November 16, 2023
Speaking further, Mikel Obi lamented about boys who would want to marry into a successful family, simply because they are living in affluence.
“And your sisters they go off and get married to some guy who just want to get married into John Obi Mikel’s family, because then my life is sorted. And then you start looking after this guy, and then before you know it you look at them. And they keep having so many kids and so many kids. And you’re looking at them say okay, you having this much kids, who’s going to look after them? It’s you,” the former Trabzonspor playmaker continued.
Per Mikel’s statement, when you stop taking care of the relatives, they’ll involve the media, and say a lot of nasty things.
Also read: Osimhen : We Are Crying For Someone Like You At Chelsea – Mikel
“For them you owe them that. So you sometimes you have to be strong and say guys enough is enough, I don’t care. And they will give you this thing that, if you don’t do that, we’re going to go to the press.”
