Four Reasons Why Fans Should Be Excited About Mikel's Return To Super Eagles Ahead Of AFCON

With four days to the much-anticipated AFCON 2019 tournament, many Nigerians are happy that the Super Eagles of Nigeria are back in contention for the trophy after missing two previous editions.

Gernot Rohr is glad to have one of his most important players, Mikel Obi, back in the team, and the fans should equally share the same feeling with the gaffer.

Mikel's importance to the team can't be overemphasized, hence his return to the team ahead of the showpiece should be applauded by Nigerians.

Why should soccer-loving Nigerians  rejoice over Mikel's return to the national team after a year of absence? Here's allnigeriasoccer.com's top four reasons:

His Experience

The Super Eagles are one of the youngest teams heading into the tournament as most of the players are making their AFCON debuts.

His return to the team means Gernot Rohr has a highly experienced player who can lead the team to greatness in Egypt.

His Leadership Skill

Apart from being the captain of the team, Mikel's ability to coordinate his young team-mates is another reason why the fans should he happy with his return.

His  Creativity

Mikel is not the type of player who can initiate many counter-attacks due to his low pace but his ability to give attack-oriented passes is never in doubt.

The former Chelsea winger is known for his long-range and defense-splitting passes which will be largely needed by Ighalo, Paul Onuachu and Osimhen to wreck havoc against opponents in Egypt.

The strikers will hugely depend on the 32-year-old's ability to create clear-cut chances to score goals.

His Versatility

Mikel played as a defensive midfielder throughout his Chelsea career but he's versatile enough to feature as an attacking midfielder for the Super Eagles.

His versatility is an important reason why his return to the team should be celebrated by fans because he offers Rohr the opportunity to twist formations during matches.

Mikel can feature alongside Ndidi at the midfield base while Iwobi occupies the playmaking position.

The gaffer can equally decide to feature Etebo and Ndidi at the two defensive midfield positions while Mikel operates at the 'No 10' position and Iwobi operates from the flank.


Ibukun Italoye