Former Super Eagles Captain John Mikel Obi has publicly acknowledged why he always prefer not meeting Ivorian legend Didier Drogba at AFCON games npflupdates.com reports.
Also read: I Wouldn’t Have Wanted Victor Osimhen At Chelsea – Mikel
Mikel Obi and Didier Drogba were teammates during their time at English Premier League outfit Chelsea. Both African Legends in 2012 helped Chelsea win its first ever UEFA Champions League title, when they beat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
In a recent publication by Pulse Sports Nigeria, Mikel Obi publicly admitted he’s always scared meeting a Didier Drogba-led Ivory Coast.
Mikel Obi opens up on why he’s always scared of Didier Drogba
He said, “Obviously the one player that I, that I never wanted to meet that, I, I didn’t
“I was lucky I didn’t meet quite a lot was Didier Drogba.”
Also read: Mikel Obi Shares Stunning Experience About His Chelsea’s Best Game
Obi while playing for the Super Eagles met Drogba three times, on three different African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) outings. First was in 2006, where Drogba got a better part of Nigeria’s Mikel Obi in the semi-final.
The duo met again in the 2008 AFCON in Ghana, and again, Drogba’s Ivory defeated Nigeria in the group stages.
But in the 2013 edition, a Super Eagles led by Vincent Enyeama, with a Midfield controlled Mikel Obi stood tall and defeated Ivory Coast to reach the semi-final.
So, Obi, said his fear coming up against Drogba, was his ability to score goal at any slightest opportunity.
“You know, I was always scared meeting him because I knew that at some point in the game, he will score.”
Nigeria for the first round of the AFCON in Ivory Coast, will come up against host nation Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The three-time African champions, wi hope to win its fourth title, after winning it’s last a decade ago.
In a related story, former Super Eagles Captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha, reveals two highly decorated African players he would have loved to play alongside during his active days.
During an interview with Goal Africa, Okocha spoke highlighetd the importance of having teammates who are always ready to do the dirty job. According to the former Paris St-Germain midfielder, such a teammate will provide room so that more creative players can express themselves.
“There are a few players like me who need somebody to do the dirty job for them,” he said.
Okocha expressed delight in playing alongside Sunday Oliseh, who’s arguably the most combative midfielder of African extraction.
“I would have loved to play with, and I did have the opportunity to play with [Sunday] Oliseh, who was known for doing most of the dirty work,” he said.
Also read: Mikel Obi Destroy Drogba And Kalou, Says “My Statue Is At Nigerian Airports”
“I would have also loved to play with Michael Essien and Yaya Toure. “For me, Yaya Toure was a complete midfield player, not just in an offensive sense.
“He also pressed and did a lot of defensive work, although he didn’t tackle like Essien or even Oliseh,” Okocha explained
