Nigerian food does no longer appeal to Super Eagles’ captain, John Mikel after leaving home at a tender age to play for top clubs in Europe and Asia in a career that has lasted for over 14 years.

While some Nigerian players plying their trades with European and Asian clubs still crave for local delicacies like eba, amala, fufu and pounded yam with various delicious soups to go with it, Mikel appeared to have banished that thoughts in his latest inetrview with the Super Eagles’ Media in Alexandria, Egypt.
Asked to list his favourite Nigerian food, the ex-Chelsea midfield maestro shocked his interviewers when he revealed that he no longer eats Nigerian food. “The truth is that I’ve not eaten eba for seven years now. These days, I eat more of Chinese food than eba or any other local delicacies.

In August 2017, Mikel’s Russian wife Olga Diyachenko, shared a picture of the football star on Instagram eating spaghetti with one of their twin daughters. Olga revealed that she does not need to prepare fufu, a Nigeria meal to please the midfielder when an Instagram user, who is apparently a Nigerian challenged her to prepare Nigerian foods for Mikel instead of spaghetti. “Spaghetti is not an African Man favourite @mikel_john_obi deserves better…. Learn how to prepare Fufu or pounded yam with bitter leaf soup or Oha soup,” The Instagram user, amjennykedo wrote on Twitter. Replying the comment, Olga who has two daughters with Mikel Obi bragged that she has other methods of pleasing the midfielder.

“Long story short. There are other ways to a man’s heart than his stomach,. I am a legendary cook FYI,” she replied before adding #NoOneLikesADesperado #GetOutOfTheKitchen #HaveAMoment #NoFufu #NoPoundedYam #HaveOtherTalents. Mikel also provided answers to some quickfire questions on football and his dressing style. His most interesting response was when he was asked to choose between Ronaldo and Messi, who have won a combined ten Ballon d’Or awards.

Explaining why he picked the Barcelona superstar over the Juventus striker, Mikel said : ”Messi all day. For me, he is from a different planet. ”I’m grateful to have been able to play with him, from U20s we started playing against each other, played against him so many times”. When asked to choose between Lagos and Abuja, Mikel went for the country’s capital; he picked Yemi Alade as the better musician than Davido and prefers winning the World Cup over the Champions League.

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