It has been revealed that captain of Nigeria’s football team at the FIFA World Cup in Russia , Mikel Obi, got wind of his father’s kidnap before leading out Super Eagles against Argentina.
Speaking to KweséESPN after his father’s rescue, Mikel said he faced Argentina last Tuesday in the knowledge that his father was being held for ransom, but did not tell anyone about it as the kidnappers threatened to shoot “instantly” if police were informed.
The call from the kidnappers, he said, came four hours before kickoff in the crucial World Cup clash in St Petersburg, noting that they demanded N10 Million ($28,000 US) for the safe return of his father, Pa Michael Obi.
According to him, he refused the temptation of informing officials at the Nigeria Football Federation, including coach Gernot Rohr.
“I was confused. I did not know what to do, but in the end, I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down,” Mikel said.
“I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first. I was told that they would shoot my dad instantly if I reported to the authorities or told anybody.
“And I did not want to discuss it with the coach because I did not want my issue to become a distraction to the coach or the rest of the team on the day of such an important game. So as much as I wanted to discuss it with the coach, I could not do it,” he said.