Nigeria captain Mikel John Obi has revealed he found out his father had been kidnapped just hours before their final World Cup group stage game against Argentina, and that he would be shot dead if he reported it.
The former Chelsea midfielder played the full 90 minutes in St Petersburg, having found out en route to the stadium.
Mikel told the Guardian how he was ordered to pay a ransom and then, after deciding to play, told no one in Nigerian Football Federation, partially out of fear of distracting them ahead of such a crucial game.
Nigerian authorities secured the release of Pa Michael Obi after a week of torture, and he is now in hospital receiving ‘emergency treatment’.