Nigeria: Mikel’s Dad Kidnapped 4 Hours Before Argentinian Match
Mikel's dad was kidnapped about four hours before the kick-off Super Eagle's last group match which was with Argentina. Just before the match, he was called by a family member who informed him of the kidnap and gave him a number to call.
Mikel called the number and was told to pay a ransom of N10 million and not to inform anyone or else his dad will be killed. According Mikel, he could not inform the NFF because of the threat and also because he did not want it to be a source of distraction to the team.
He said "I played while my father was in the hands of bandits. I had to suppress the trauma. I took a call four hours before kick-off to tell me what had happened.
"I was emotionally distraught and I had to make the decision about whether I was mentally ready to play. I was con...