Mikel’s influence blocked some players from Super Eagles call-ups — Onazi

By Ayobami Okerinde

Former Nigeria midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has alleged that ex-Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi wielded enormous influence within the national team, to the extent that some players were denied invitations.

Onazi made the claim during an appearance on the Home Turf podcast, where he stated that Mikel’s influence affected squad selections, with Tony Nwakaeme among the players who allegedly missed out on call-ups during that period.

He said, “Mikel was too influential when he was in the Super Eagles. When he was playing, there were some players because of his influence. There were some players whom he made sure not to get invited into the Super Eagles,” before going on to mention Tony Nwakaeme, who had only one cap for the national team.

Onazi further revealed that Mikel later apologised to Nwakaeme during a meeting at a restaurant in Istanbul, describing the incident as one of several similar situations.

The former Lazio man, however, spoke glowingly about Mikel’s impact on his own career, describing the former Chelsea midfielder as a source of inspiration.

He recalled that Mikel often returned from England with football boots, jerseys and money, which he shared among teammates, describing it as a privilege to have played alongside him.

“Mikel was a big player. He inspired us a lot. When Chelsea and Manchester United were fighting for his signature, it made me believe that if someone I saw every day could reach that level, then I could also make it in football. Whenever he comes back from Chelsea then, he brings a lot of boots and jerseys and even shares money for some of us, and I was a beneficiary. It’s a privilege to play alongside him,” he said.

Onazi also addressed on-field disagreements between them, noting that despite occasional clashes, he always acknowledged Mikel’s seniority.

“There were times on the pitch when we disagreed. He would say, ‘Give me the ball now,’ even though there were other players available. But after the game, I would always go to apologise because he was my senior. That never changed our relationship; I was always his boy,” he added.

The trio later reunited at Trabzonspor in the Turkish league in 2019. Speaking to The Punch that year, Onazi disclosed that he played a key role in convincing the club to sign Mikel.

He said, “I’m very excited, of course. The club had several options, and he was just one among them. So, the club president asked about him (Mikel) from me, and I told them all they needed to know and how good he can be for the team. I pushed it to them to get him at any cost because I know what he can bring to the team. I have played with him, and so I should be in the best position to know. Just like I did when Anthony Nwakaeme was on the club’s radar last season, I also had to convince Mikel to choose Trabzonspor well ahead of other Turkish teams who were on his trail.”

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