Aftermath of Glo CAF Awards: Trouble looms for Mikel at Chelsea

THE SUN – Trouble looms for Nigerian midfielder, John Obi Mikel at his London club, Chelsea, after the player failed to win the African Footballer top crown on Thursday night, Daily SunSport has exclusively gathered.
Mikel who stormed out of the awards venue in anger was quoted, by sources close to him, that the organisers assured that he would emerge as the winner.
The competent source further revealed that the midfielder was dejected and embarrassed at the treatment he got at the event.


“Mikel was disturbed and couldn’t believe how it happened. He was given so much assurance that he was going to win it, only for the story to change at the end of the day.
“To make the matter worse, Mourinho (Jose) was convinced to release Mikel for the awards night since the Portuguese, in first instance, believed such trip to Nigeria was a distraction to the player and he would be jet-lagged on return.
“So the episode forced Chelsea to fly him (Mikel) down in the club’s jet and also to bring him back to London in good time.
“The club invested so much in making the player available at the occasion because the plane flew to Nigeria twice because of Mikel. No club would have released their player if not assured of winning the prize.
“Sure, Mikel will pick up his pieces and return to his best at Chelsea,” the source assured.
The defensive midfielder looks likely to miss today’s away clash at Hull City and must fight hard to regain his starting shirt at the club.
Meanwhile, the midfielder opted to shun a meeting at the instance of the Nigeria Football Federation after the CAF Awards as he preferred to stay back in his hotel room after the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari put a phone call through to him.