By Victor Kanayo
Former captain of Nigeria’s Super Eagles Mikel Obi, has said he was in pole position to win the much coveted 2013 CAF African Footballer of the year award before he was robbed.
That year’s best player award was eventually won by Ivory Coast football great Yaya Toure.
But the Chelsea legend who spoke in an interview recently with Dubai Eye 103.8 said, “I was robbed. Before I went, I was told that I won it. I was at the airport flying to Nigeria, because the ceremony was in Nigeria, and guess what happened? Manchester City was playing, and Yaya scored a hat-trick or two goals.”
Also speaking on his transfer controversy between Chelsea and Manchester United, the former Oslo midfielder who has retired from football said, he was touted to sign for Manchester United after a breakout tournament at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He later made a U-turn, joining rivals Chelsea in 2006 and the player says Manchester United’s legendary gaffer Sir Alex Fergusson – who wanted to sign him then – snubbed him following his switch.
According to him, “Fergie blanked me for years. First time we played in the FA Cup, he shunned me walking out of the tunnel. I stumbled and almost fell. Each time we met, he blanked me but I have no regrets about signing for Chelsea.
“Obviously, I signed a pre-contract with Manchester United, but before that, I was playing for Lyn Oslo in Norway. Chelsea actually sent me to Lyn Oslo and nobody knew this.
“Chelsea was looking after me, and my family, giving me bits here and there and they were paying my school fees when I was in Norway.
“I had my trials at Manchester United before I went to Chelsea. Sir Alex Ferguson loved me and all the players loved me. Roy Keane was my biggest fan. He told Ferguson he needed to sign me. He was my protector in training.
“Whenever I got tackles in training from the likes of Paul Scholes and Nikky Butt in training, Keane was ready to get in with them.
“They heard I joined Chelsea and Fergie flew into Norway and handed me a pre-contract to sign and I could not say no. And the whole thing went viral.”
In his playing days, the midfield maestro helped Nigeria win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the third time in 2013, less than a year after he played an integral role in Chelsea’s UEFA Champions League triumph. He also won the Europa League in the same year.
