By Rasaq OboirienCHELSEA midfielder, John Mikel Obi has been named as the new Super Eagles skipper, reports NaijaSportsXtra.
He replaces CSKA Moscow Ahmed Musa who was handed the captain armband by Coach Sunday Oliseh after goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was stripped of it at the Eagles camp in Belgium.
Recall Mikel, subsequently turn down the offer for personal reasons.
The Chelsea midfielder who has 64 caps for the senior national team scoring four goals, made his debut in the 1-0 victory against Libya in an international friendly.
Mikel, 28-years-old is expected to lead the 2013 AFCON champions in a crucial qualifiers against Egypt in Kaduna on Friday and Alexandria on March 29th.
The Nigerian has also has a successful club and national team
career with Chelsea having won 2 English Premier League
titles: 2009–10, 2014–15, four FA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09,
2009–10, 2011–12, two
League Cup: 2006–07, 2014-15 and one FA Community Shield in
2009.
He became the third Nigerian after Kanu Nwankow and Finidi
George to win the prestiguos UEFA Champions League trophy in
2011–12 and the first Nigerian to win the UEFA Europa League
in 2012–13.
To cap it all, Mikel claimed his AFCON winners medal when
Nigeria lifted the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time
in 2013 in South Africa.
