Super Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh has revealed why Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel was not on the list of invited players for the match against Tanzania on September 5.
The former Nigeria skipper expressed that he has not been able to reach the Chelsea midfielder despite all his efforts even after his messages and a visit to London.
“Till now I have not spoken with Mikel,” Oliseh began in his interview with the NFF’s official website.
He continued: “I have contacted him on several occasions with no reply; sent him an SMS with no reply, went to London where he plays in the same club with Victor Moses, Moses came to the meeting we spoke but he (Mikel) didn’t come, I eventually told Moses to say hello to him.
Though Oliseh has made efforts to get across to Mikel he was quick to state that no player is indispensable and thus would not go around trying to cajole any player.
“No player is special, every player is the same, every
other player we contacted and spoke with have been invited them. ” Oliseh stated.
The Super Eagles Coach said he would not hastily pass judgement on Mikel even though there have been outrage in several quarters over Mikel’s perceived lackadaisical attitude to national team matters in recent years.
“I cannot really pass judgement on a player I have not spoken with, so that is it for now,“ Oliseh concluded.
Mikel has not played for Nigeria since the Super Eagles missed out of qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup Nations hosted by Equatorial Guinea but has been listed in Chelsea's last two premier league games against Swansea and Manchester City.
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