‘They don’t have money to eat, but they would go to watch the games’ — Nigerian football legend praises fans

John Obi Mikel has played under the bright lights of Stamford Bridge and lifted some of football’s biggest trophies, but nothing compares, he says, to the undying passion of Nigerian football fans.

Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder opened up about how deep football runs in the veins of his countrymen and why their love for the game still amazes him.

In a heartfelt conversation with Peter Crouch, Mikel described the kind of football fever that pulses through Nigeria, where the sport is a way of life.

“Nigeria, for us, football is everything. People die for football,” Mikel declared. For many fans, even basic needs come second to keeping up with the game.

“They don’t have money to eat, but they would go to watch the games. They don’t have money to eat, but they would want to know what’s happening. They would buy airtime just to know exactly what’s happening with football,” Mikel added.

Mikel also noted that the Nigerian fans’ passion is not lost on the players who represent the nation. It’s part of what made winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 so emotional. “It’s absolutely crazy, and we appreciate that. So to finally win that Nations Cup with the national team is something special,” he added.

Mikel’s football resume is legendary. With Chelsea, he won two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, a League Cup, and most famously, the 2012 UEFA Champions League, but winning the 2013 AFCON victory with Nigeria is still one of the highest points in his career.

For Mikel, winning the AFCON was a way to give back to a nation that gives everything to its football. That win in South Africa was for every fan who spent their last naira to stay connected to the game they love.