Nigeria skipper John Mikel Obi says he will play anywhere on the pitch if that is what it takes to help the Super Eagles win. arguements in the media and among fans after the Croatia loss has been that Gernot Rohr wrongly deployed Mikel as an attacking rather than a defensive midfielder in the 2-0 defeat. Jose Mourinho, who coached Mikel through his formative years and all the way to maturity while at Chelsea, added more fuel to the fire by saying that Nigeria “lost a great 6 to get a bad 10”.
In response to that claim at Nigeria’s press conference on Wednesday, Mikel said the conversation was academic, but he would gladly play anywhere for the good of the team, starting with tomorrow’s game against Iceland. “Mourinho is Mourinho,” Mikel said with a slight chuckle. “I worked with him for many years so he knows me very well. It’s fascinating how when you have been doing something for over a year-and-a-half, nobody says something about it, but when you lose one game, there’s a problem. But this is football. I’ve been in this game for a long time and I understand how this works”. I understand the frustration of Nigerians. They have a right to be frustrated.
“I feel comfortable playing in both positions. I would do anything possible and anything I can to make sure we win games. I am the captain of this team, I am the leader of this team. If I have to sacrifice for this team to progress, I will. If I have to sacrifice a position, go play wherever, I will do that for this team to win games.” However, Mikel pointed out that winning games is more than just about playing positions. “It’s important for people to understand that playing in certain positions is not the main thing. You have to be able to give 110 percent for the team, no matter where you play, and I am willing to do that.