Mikel likely to start

Posted: 2009-03-27 09:57
Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi is likely to play a major part in Sunday's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Mozambique after coming through two hours of training on Thursday.

Mikel, who came down with a throat infection earlier in the week, arrived the Super Eagles camp on Thursday afternoon along with vice captain Joseph Yobo and proceeded to join the team at the day's training session. Despite clear evidence of his recent illness, including chapped lips and coughing spells, the midfielder looked sharp in training as he dug into tackles and let fly with his typical range of passing. "I love my country and I always want to play for my country," Mikel told KickOffNigeria.com later that night at he team's Mthunzi Lodge camp. "That is why I had to come even though I was sick and needed to rest to recover fully."

The youngster has faced criticism from fans and media who say he dodges international call-ups, but Mikel insists that he is misunderstood. "Every player's dream is to play for his country and I am no different. But sometimes, because of circumstances, you can’t always do what you want and people should understand that. "I keep saying it all the time but it seems like nobody wants to listen to my side. People just believe what they want and it makes me sad. "Nigeria is my country and I want to play all the time. It is an honour for me to wear the national team colours, but sometimes, things happen and people should understand that it is not deliberate.