Mikel Obi retires from football
Emmanuel Alfred
The floodlights has finally faded on the career of one of the most successful football players Nigeria as the Former Super Eagles of Nigeria captain, Mikel Obi has announced his retirement from football.
The 35 year old Obi took to his official social media account to reveal his decision to retire on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.
“There is a saying that ‘all good things must come to an end’, and for my professional football career, that day is today. I look back at the past 20 years of my career, and I must say that I am very satisfied with all that I was able to achieve and more importantly the man it has helped shape”. Mikel said
“All of this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, managers, clubs, coaches, teammates and most importantly my ever-loyal fans. “You supported me through my highs and lows, even on days that I did not live up to your expectations. I say a big thank you”.
“I will also like to encourage everyone who I may have inspired one way or the other in the course of my career to never give up on their dreams, for every time you think about quitting, remind yourself why you started. This is not goodbye, it’s the start of another journey, another chapter of my life. I look forward to what the future holds and I hope you will walk with me”. An emotional Obi added.
As a youngster, Mikel represented Nigeria at all youth levels. He was part of the U-17 team at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
He rose to prominence representing Nigeria at the 2005 FIFA U-17 FIFA World Cup in the Netherlands at the Flying Eagles finished second to a Lionel Messi-led Argentina side.
Mikel also featured for the U-23 team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil taking home a Bronze medal.
During his time with the senior national team, Mikel played an integral role as the Super Eagles won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He was also part of Bronze medals AFCON teams in 2006, 2010, and 2019 editions.
He also had a very successful career at club level, particularly at English Premier League side, Chelsea where he won two league titles, a UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, four Fa Cup titles and two English Football League cups.
