Distraught John Obi Mikel’s trembling fingers dialled the number. On the line was his terrified father, beaten, tortured and crying in fear for his life, while armed kidnappers demanded £300,000 or they would shoot him. It was the phone call former Chelsea star Mikel had been dreading.
Hours earlier, as he sat on Nigeria’s team bus heading towards their World Cup showdown with Argentina — with the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders — he had received a similar one from his anguished family, informing him of the abduction. Now, at that moment, he also had the survival of his beloved Michael Obi in his hands. Mikel’s trauma puts the pressure of a penalty shootout firmly into perspective.
He revealed: “When the initial call came I sensed something was not right because I rarely get calls on a match day.It was tough, you know, having to play the biggest game of your country’s campaign in the World Cup knowing something terrible could happen to your father.”