Mikel Obi, a former midfielder for the Super Eagles, has revealed why he wasn’t given the 2013 African Footballer of the Year Award.
Recall that the former Chelsea player played a crucial role in Nigeria’s triumph in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which took place in South Africa.
Despite his outstanding performance, Mikel was beaten out for the honor by Yaya Toure, a Manchester City great.
In an interview with Dubai Eye 103.8, aaccording to CSN, Mikel reflected on the incident and claimed that the prize had been stolen from him.
“I got robbed of the African Footballer of The Year Award. Before I went, I was told I won it,” he said.
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“I was at the airport flying to Nigeria because the ceremony was in Nigeria, and Man City was playing, and Yaya Toure scored two goals.
“I won the AFCON, I won the Europa League and a year before that, I won the Champions League. There is no way I wouldn’t have won it.
“I knew I had won it. It doesn’t matter how many goals he scored. I was in my prime, playing a lot of games.
“You could have seen the ceremony. Before it was even announced, everybody left the stage, people left.”
Mikel Obi retired from the national team in 2019 after playing with the team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
