The Guardian have an extraordinary story today: John Obi Mikel lined out for Nigeria against Argentina in the group stages of the World Cup having been told hours before kick-off that his father had been kidnapped.
Mikel was told of the news when travelling on the team bus to the stadium, and was instructed by a family member to phone kidnappers on a designated number. From there, Mikel was told to pay a ransom and was warned that his father would be killed if the news was reported.
Pa Michael Obi's release has since been secured by police, but he is receiving treatment in hospital having been tortured during a week-long ordeal.
Mikel did not tell any of his teammates nor did he inform anyone at the Nigerian Federation of the appalling news, and played in a dramatic 2-1 defeat which led to Nigeria's elimination from the tournament.
Mikel told The Guardian that "I was emotionally distraught and I had to make the decision about whether I was mentally ready to play. I was confused. I did not know what to do but, in the end, I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down. I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first. I could not even inform the coaches or NFF staff and only a very tight circle of my friends knew".
Read the full piece on The Guardian's website.
