Former Nigeria midfielder Friday Ekpo fears Chelsea’s Mikel Obi could lose his place in the Super Eagles to another player.
Mikel has come under severe criticism from many Eagles’ fans and some sections of the media for his unimpressive performances for the national team.
The 2012 UEFA Champions League winner was partly blamed for Nigeria’s second round exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil – and has been criticised for his performances in last week’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa respectively.
Mikel starred in the shock 3-2 defeat to Congo in Calabar on Saturday and in the goalless draw against South Africa in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Ekpo, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone during the week, believed Mikel’s lack of playing time at Chelsea had affected him.
The Senegal ’92 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medallist urged Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi to begin the process of replacing the former Lyn Oslo player to make the Eagles competitive again.
Ekpo said, “I don’t know what is happening to Mikel in recent times because he has become a shadow of himself.
“Every time he comes to the national team, he raises everybody’s hopes that he has come and will improve his game but he ends up disappointing those who have trusted him.
“Mikel is the poster-boy and face of Nigerian football but he has not lived up to that billing and needs to do something about his personal game.”
The former Abiola Babes player added, “Mikel is still a good player. I think a lack of playing time at Chelsea is his problem. If he had been playing regularly for his club, I believe he would have improved his game because the more a player plays, the more his ability to correct the mistakes he makes on the pitch.
“Also, if he had been playing regularly, he would have been the real motivator, the real game changer, the real ball passer that we know him to be. Mikel now slows down the tempo of the Eagles game anytime the ball comes to him which invariably affects the team. He then begins running from pillar to post when it doesn’t matter again.
“If he doesn’t change the way he plays, then Keshi should find a replacement for him.
“There are a lot of better ball passers in the domestic league. I watch matches in the domestic league and I can say there are many players ready to play for the national team. So Mikel should up his game or lose it to those players.”
