Mikel was a stubborn player- Siasia

Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has disclosed that Mikel Obi is a stubborn player during his playing days for the national team.

Siasia stated this during a podcast with ex-international Emmanuel Babayaro and journalist Mathew Edafe over the weekend.

“Mikel is a little bit out of my league. He’s stubborn and I cannot tolerate people like that, that much.”

Siasia who was part of the team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations said he finds it challenging to tolerate stubborn players.

“Mikel is a little bit out of my list, he is stubborn,” Siasia said.

“I cannot tolerate people like that much. The only good thing he did was that he came and played very well in the Olympics. He acted as a captain.”

Mikel won 89 caps for Nigeria, played in two World Cups and helped the Super Eagles win the 2013 AFCON before announcing his retirement from international football in 2019. He was speaking after the kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s parents in Colombia – with his mother quickly released but his father still being held hostage.

Siasia, while in charge of Nigeria’s U20 football team, won the African Youth Championship in 2005, leading the same side to the final of the 2005 U-20 World Cup in The Netherlands.

He won Olympic silver and bronze medals while in charge of the U-23 team in 2008 and 2016, respectively.

Recall that the 56-year-old was appointed Super Eagles coach in 2010 and was in charge for one year before his reappointment in 2016.

Siasia featured in 51 international matches for the Super Eagles, netting thirteen goals. He notably contributed to Nigeria’s success in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and their triumph in the 1994 African Nations Cup.

Additionally, he was part of the squad that secured bronze at the 1992 African Nations Cup in Senegal. Over an impressive span of 11 years, Siasia played a significant role in the national team, earning recognition as the third-highest scorer in Nigeria’s history.

Siasia’s notable playing career includes a stint with the French team FC Nantes, where he achieved the title of league champion during the 1994/95 season.