SCANDAL! Chelsea Star Assaults Journalist

If Chelsea and Nigerian midfielder has received criticism before, those are just a drop in the ocean compare to what will come his way if report of assault on a female journalist making round is true.

The 27-year-old Chelsea midfielder is reported to have assaulted a female journalist who requested for an interview after the national team- the Super Eagles’ training session in the Abuja National stadium ahead of their must-win match against Sudan on Wednesday. Mikel was said to have shoved the female journalist a sign that the pressure of the teams woeful outings so far is getting to him.

Obi Mikel has been with the Nigeria national team since the commencement of the international break. Nigeria have a double header AFCON qualifiers against Sudan.

After loosing the first leg away to Sudan in Khartoum the team have received a lot of criticism both from the media and fans. The Super Eagles have only picked 1point from a possible nine in the three AFCON qualifiers played so far with many describing their performance as lacklustre and lethargic.

Heavier criticism has however, come the way of the Chelsea player who many think should be leading the side the since he is the most experienced outfield player in the team.

A lot of Nigerians by virtue of Mikel playing for one of the best clubs in Europe and the best league in the expect him to perform above the average. But Mikel on his part have not lived up to billing.

He’d put a good performance in one match and go on to have a woeful display in the next. He simply has not lived up to the high hopes everyone had on him least when he won the Silver ball at the 2005 FIFA U20 world cup behind Argentine Lionel Messi.

His status as one of the biggest star and brand in the team has not help his course also, as every woeful performance is blamed on him and many have even questioned his consistent inclusion in the national team more so in the starting line-up of every match.

Mikel also has not been friendly with the media. Shunning them at will when he needs to grant interview with his absence at the open media chat on Tuesday-three days before the Sudan game being one of the recent cases. If the report of shoving a female reporter doing her duties is true then Mikel has attracted a barrage of foul critics.

Assault in any form is an act which should be condemned and coming from a player like Mikel shows the sorry state of the national team after their faltering start to the AFCON qualifiers.

Frustrations do set in when the right result are not coming but it shouldn’t lead to shunning, shoving or assaulting the same people that sing your praise when you do things right.

Again the media should know the right channel to get through to the players if they need to grant an interview. Barging into a player who’s just finished his training is not the best practise. The national team have a media officer who can get the players to talk to the press rather than the journalist approaching the players themselves.

As said early, if this report is true, it won’t do Mikel’s reputation any good. The critics are after him already and this is just an open invitation to more criticism.