Nigeria national team coach Stephen Keshi says he
still believes that John Obi Mikel is a vital cog in the
Super Eagles side, despite the midfielder’s lack of
game time at his club, Chelsea. Mikel has not been overly influential during Nigeria’s
first two 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON)
qualifying games, which have seen the Super
Eagles picking up just a single point from their
opening two matches against Congo (2-3) and South
Africa (0-0). Against Bafana Bafana, Mikel was outplayed by
Man of the Match Andile Jali, the 24-year-old
Belgium-based midfielder who South Africa will build
their future around. It was Jali’s speed, tenacity and skill on the ball that
won him most of the one on one battles against the
Super Eagles midfielders. Mikel appears to having fallen down the pecking
order at Stamford Bridge, having only had 23
minutes of action so far this season for the big-
spending London club, but Keshi remains adamant
that the 27-year-old is an important part of the
national team. “Just because he is not playing in his team
(Chelsea), that does not mean I cannot use him in
my team, that’s the coaches’ choice,” Keshi said
after Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw with Bafana
Bafana in Cape Town. “But in my team, if I think that he is good shape,
with the wealth of experience he has, all his years in
the Champions League, I think he’s very important
for us in the team, and we just have to make the
best of the situation.” http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/cant-without-mikel-keshi/

u mean Mikel SlowObi? *i'll b bak 2comment

In life "no one is indispensable"

OF COURSE!! Even better. That Eagles does not play Counter is because of Mikel, it is only Musa that try to but nobody to help him out.

I'm just here to read comment.
I comment my reserve

iheanacho should replace him asap

os cof...jst that he z bn propped by d national team.if not,he would be a nobody

Op there is no one that is indispensable ...

Yes, the super eagles can do without Mikel.

Granted, there is no proven alternative, but in football, no one is bigger than the team.

of course we can do without mikel, but are we ready to wait for mikel's replacement to mature and bring good results for the team after a string of bad results? remember how long it took mikel and co to win the Nations' cup after the exit of okocha and the likes.

If we are ready as fans to be patient with younger players and not crucify them when they make mistakes then the better it will be for us as a nation but in nigeria, coaches are under a lot of pressure to bring qucik fix results and nothing more

Why not? We can do without ten(10) of his type.

What does he even bring to the team to start with? If Spain with all of their top class talent can hand a 16-yr-old Munir a senior debut, I don't see what stops us from pairing Nwakali with Onazi in midfield for a change.

Drop Mikel to the bench cushioned with a seat belt, and don't forget to give him a headset alongside.

Yes