Nigeria Players Abroad
“It is your duty” — Sunday Oliseh slams John Obi Mikel on family responsibility
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Nigeria coach, Sunday Oliseh, has strongly criticized Mikel Obi following comments made by the former Chelsea midfielder regarding his family.
Oliseh, who managed the Nigerian national team between 2015 and 2016, expressed his disapproval of Mikel’s remarks during a viral podcast episode, where Mikel discussed the financial pressures from his family members.
In the podcast, Mikel touched on the demanding nature of his family, who were always asking for money. This topic, while not uncommon among African footballers, has previously been addressed by other players such as former Togolese international Emmanuel Adebayor.
However, Oliseh took issue with Mikel airing such personal matters on a global platform like the FiveUK show, urged him to educate himself and refrain from chasing controversies and insulting people on his podcast.
“What shocked me with Obi Mikel was that never in the history of Nigeria or African football has one player ever gone on to a foreign podcast and totally humiliated his family by calling them beggars, problems, and everything,” Oliseh said during an interview on Elegbete TV.
“How can you do this to your family? In Africa, it is our pride when you earn something or you help your family. In fact, it is your duty. That is why I am saying this disrespect for family and people that are older than you has to stop.”
Oliseh further emphasized the importance of maintaining respect for family and African cultural values, where supporting one’s family is seen as a duty and a source of pride.
