Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has reopened an old controversy. He says the land promised to him after Nigeria’s 2013 AFCON triumph has never been allocated.
LAGOS, NIGERIA — Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has criticised football administrators in Nigeria and said he never received the plot of land allegedly promised to him after Nigeria won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, according to remarks made during a recent interview.
Mikel said former President Goodluck Jonathan promised every member of the victorious Super Eagles squad a large plot of land after the team defeated Burkina Faso to win the 2013 AFCON title. He stated that, despite the announcement made at the time, he still does not know the location of the land more than a decade later. He also questioned why some of the same football officials have asked him to return and work with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Speaking during the interview, Mikel said, “The plot of land President Goodluck Jonathan gave me after we won AFCON, till today I still don’t know where it is.” He also criticised the leadership of Nigerian football, saying, “We don’t have people that know about football. They occupy their positions year after year, controlling everything. They are reluctant to relinquish their power because of the financial benefits that come with it.” He added that he had received invitations to become involved in Nigerian football administration but had declined, insisting that “those individuals need to go.”
Nigeria won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under late coach Stephen Keshi after defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final in Johannesburg, South Africa. Following the victory, members of the squad received national honours and several rewards from the Federal Government and state governments, including reported promises of houses and plots of land.
The development means renewed attention could focus on the welfare promises made to Nigeria’s 2013 AFCON-winning players and ongoing discussions about governance within the NFF. Neither the Nigeria Football Federation nor representatives of former President Goodluck Jonathan had publicly responded to Mikel’s latest comments at the time of filing this report.
