Duro Ikhazuagbe
Former Super Eagles Captain, John Obi Mikel, was celebrated on Wednesday as he clocked 33 years by his former English Premier League club Chelsea FC.
Mikel who just left Trabzonspor in the Turkish topflight following a disagreement on wether the season should continue in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, was wished the best of the day by the Stamford Bridge club.
“The birthday boy! Have a great day, Mikel John Obi,” wrote Chelsea on its official Twitter handle on Wednesday.
Mikel spent 11 years at Chelsea where he won the UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues in addition to several Premiership and FA Cup titles.
Similarly, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) also sent a birthday greeting to the AFCON 2013 winner. Mikel also have bronze medals from AFCON 2006, 2010 and 2019 to show for his sojourn in the national team.
“Happy Birthday to Nigeria’s retired midfielder John Obi Mikel!” CAF wrote on their handle.
Mikel who stared for Plateau United before moving to Lyn Oslo to begin his pro career represented Nigeria at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Finland where the Golden Eaglets crashed out in the group stage.
He was a member of the FlyingEagles side that finished second at the 2005 U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
He also featured at both 2014 and 2018 World Cups, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and captained the U-23 Eagles team to win Nigeria’s only bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
