Nigerian Football
EVERYONE IMPRESSED BY MIKEL OBI’S MIDDLESBROUGH DEBUT
Anthony Vickers, a senior writer at Teessidelive, an online publication in the UK has described as impressive, the debut for Middlesbrough by Nigeria’s Mikel Obi.
The Super Eagles’ skipper who signed for the club barely two days earlier was a starter in the game in which he played for 62 minutes. Here is Anthony Vickers’ assessment of the Nigerian international.
So, how did surprise starter John Obi
Mikel do on his debut?
Not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, he provided some eye-catching neon flashes of quality that illuminated an often monochrome match.
Little sparks. A sublime touch here. A laser-guided long ball there. A subtle shimmy to send a Newport man blundering down a cul-de-sac, creating precious time and space to calmly pick a pass. And all that happening in a bubble of serene slow-time he created around himself amid the scrappy, frantic flailing of the midfield melee.
Serial winner Mikel is a long-time trophy hoover. A sparkling decade with Chelsea earned him an enviable medal collection.
And even in the hurly-burly of a thud and blunder FA Cup clash, even on a rushed debut after one training session with his new team-mates, even after a long lay-off from active service you could see that he oozes class.
Mikel
was quick to point out after the game that he was rusty
and lacking match sharpness and he needed minutes. You could see that.
It is 10 weeks since his last outing for Chinese club Tianjin Tada when he played the full 90 and scored and that takes the edge off.
He didn’t do a lot of sprinting. There weren’t any lung-busting runs up-field. He barely broke sweat.
But he wasn’t blowing during the game. He was never beaten for pace. He never looked like he was towing a caravan.
Physically he coped and will improve with minutes. But technically he excelled.
There were some exquisite moments of distilled quality. He has an impressive palette of passing, a finely honed selection of well-weighted, perfectly delivered balls across all the angles on the protractor and at a variety of distances, speeds and heights.
Most of them were short and sharp, popping up across the middle third to collect and recycle sharply and accurately.
At
one moment in the first half he was first to a loose ball but hemmed in by
three arriving Newport midfielders, all snarling and snapping and looking to
mug him 10 yards outside the box.
Mikel deftly lifted the ball over the outstretched toes of the first challenge and stepped aside leaving the assailant to follow through and impede the second County combatant then turned inside to shield himself from the third and calmly threaded a casual ball back between the centre-backs for Darren Randolph to deal with routinely.
Nice. It showed great positional awareness, incredible composure under pressure and shrewd, instinctive reading of the opposition intentions and took the sting out of a potential dangerous situations.
There were a few moments like that when Mikel took responsibility and control in a crowded middle third to tidy up with a bit of swagger.
He looks more than capable of playing that holding role, fire-fighting, breaking up attacks, quickly and cleanly playing the right ball to find a colleague in space to carry it forward and link up the different elements of the engine room.
But there were a few signs that he could play a more offensive role too, that he has the vision to spot movement between the lines and the technical ability to deliver a ball that can spark an attack.
There was one sublime moment midway through the first half when after a crisp exchange of short passes he looked up, spotted a run and took a touch to set himself up then hit the sweet spot.
He delivered an inch perfect 60 yard crossfield diagonal that sailed over and neutralised the Newport midfield and dropped onto the toes of Britt Assombalonga as he darted towards the box.
The striker drilled his low shot wide but that wasn’t really the point. It was the sublime artistry of the delivery that was a delight.
That move didn’t make the Match of the Day highlights which is a shame because aesthetically it was the best of the day.
So Mikel did well. It wasn’t a match-winning debut, the deep-lying destroyer position doesn’t lend itself to such drama.
But it was very encouraging. He was composed, tidy and effective in his holding brief and linked smoothly with the players around him plus there were hints at a more attacking enterprise when opportunity allows.
There were fascinating flashes there of the silk and steel John Obi Mikel that played for Chelsea just two years ago.
Yes, it was “only Newport” – but he hadn’t played since October and barely missed a beat.
When he gets up to speed, if that potential is consistently brought to bear on the pitch, he could be some weapon in the Championship.
Rivers United head coach and technical manager, Finidi George, has praised young defender Ochiobi Elias following his outstanding performance in the club’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture on Wednesday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The left-back, who played the full 90 minutes, was instrumental in helping Rivers United maintain a clean sheet, marking one of his most confident outings since his promotion to the senior squad.
Finidi, visibly impressed after the match, revealed that his decision to give Elias a full game was driven by trust in the player’s potential, despite his limited minutes earlier in the season.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually — maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match,” Finidi said. “But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football.”
The coach also highlighted a near-miss moment when Elias came close to scoring late in the game, a chance Finidi felt could have crowned his stellar performance.
“I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball, look for somebody,” Finidi added. “I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the Rivers United youth team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024, has been gradually integrated into the first team under Finidi’s guidance. His performance on Wednesday is seen as a major step forward in his development and a sign of his growing confidence.
The youngster is now expected to retain his place in the squad as Rivers United travel to Aba this Sunday for a crucial NPFL clash against Enyimba.
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Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup, GTI Group, have congratulated the football governing body on the successful hosting of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Lagos, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, lauded the NFF Board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for the smooth conduct of the AGM and the significant progress made in Nigerian football development.
According to Ekejiuba, the Ibadan meeting reflected Gusau’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and strengthening unity across the football ecosystem.
“GTI Group congratulates the Nigeria Football Federation on the successful outcome of its Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, which the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, used the occasion to demonstrate his commitment to engaging positively with football stakeholders, including state football associations, clubs and fans,” he said.
“His interactions with the various groups at the AGM showcased his impactful leadership and dedication to promoting Nigerian football and fostering a collaborative environment.”
Ekejiuba also highlighted the Super Falcons’ recent achievements and the growth of domestic competitions, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as key milestones recorded under Gusau’s leadership. GTI serves as a strategic partner of the NPFL, supporting its structural and commercial transformation.
The statement further expressed appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for their hospitality and support during the AGM. Ekejiuba noted the governor’s commendation of the improved standard of refereeing in the NPFL under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye.
However, GTI also used the opportunity to express disappointment over the early exit of Kwara United and Abia Warriors from the CAF Confederation Cup, urging Nigerian clubs to raise their competitive standards on the continental stage.
“It is unfortunate that both Kwara United and Abia Warriors crashed out at the preliminary phase of the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend. This clearly shows that Nigerian clubs must raise their game in order to compete favourably,” the statement read.
“The future remains bright, but that is why GTI has been calling on Corporate Nigeria to invest more in our football, just as is done in thriving leagues across the world.”
Ekejiuba also extended words of encouragement to Remo Stars and Rivers United, who are still flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League.
“We encourage them to dig deep and remain focused to ensure successful campaigns. They should give Nigerian football fans something to cheer this season because we understand how demanding continental competitions can be,” he concluded.
GTI Group reaffirmed its continued commitment to working closely with the NFF to advance football development, promote professionalism, and attract sustainable investment into the Nigerian game.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has queried Warri Wolves following reports of the suspension of their head coach, Aluma Napoleon, faulting the club’s failure to comply with established procedures for contracting and registering technical officials.
In a letter titled “Notarization and Registration of Contracts” and signed by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the league body directed the Delta-based club to regularize all contractual documentation with its technical and management staff in line with NPFL regulations.
The NPFL’s letter stated:
“Information reaching us from the media space suggests that the Delta State Sports Commission has suspended your head coach, Mr. Aluma Napoleon, with immediate effect.”
Citing Sections B, Articles 6 and 11 of the NPFL 2025/26 Framework and Rules, the league reminded Warri Wolves that all clubs are required to submit notarized contracts of their officials for registration and record purposes.
“You are, however, in breach of these sections as Warri Wolves FC have not submitted the contracts of its officials to the League Board. You are hereby requested, within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, to submit all relevant contracts of your technical team, including that of the assumed suspended head coach, Mr. Napoleon Aluma, to the NPFL Secretariat,” the letter warned.
The NPFL further cautioned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions, including restricting Warri Wolves’ technical crew from accessing the bench in subsequent league matches.
“Note that failure to comply with this instruction will lead to the restriction of your technical team from accessing the technical area in future NPFL matches,” the league stated.
In a related statement to NPFL Media, COO Davidson Owumi stressed that the Warri Wolves case was not isolated, adding that all clubs yet to register the contracts of their technical officials must do so without delay.
“I must admonish all coaches to get hold of their contracts and lodge a report with the NPFL when there is a violation of the terms. It is the responsibility of the aggrieved to petition the league at all times,” Owumi emphasized.
The NPFL has been tightening administrative controls in recent seasons to ensure transparency, professionalism, and adherence to contractual obligations across all participating clubs.
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