Why Eguavoen and Super Eagles stars should learn from Mikel Obi

John Mikel Obi showed former and current Super Eagles stars how to stay successful post-retirement instead of waiting for NFF handouts.

On Friday morning, March 15, 2024, former Super Eagles captain Mikel John Obi was trending across social media for the right reasons. 

Mikel’s post-retirement success

Mikel trended on social media after he conducted the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draws, which pitted Europe’s elite eight against each other. 

While the clash of the titans set to take centre stage in April dominated the talking points, Mikel also made headlines for looking dapper. 

Dressed in a blue suit with a sharp-looking tie and wristwatch, Mikel certainly made a statement on Friday morning. 

The UEFA Champions League draw was not the major football event the ex-Chelsea man has been involved in recently. 

Over the last few months, Mikel had attended the FIFA Best Awards and was also part of the team that conducted the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations draw. 

Also, he now has a podcast- the Obi One Podcast- with guests like Jose Mourinho, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Joe Cole, Victor Osimhen, Petr Cech and many other football personalities. 

These are just some of the things Mikel has been up to since he retired from football. He is now having a second career post-retirement, launching a career in media just like former American football star Shannon Sharpe. 

Mikel laying the blueprint for Super Eagles stars

With the success he is currently enjoying post-retirement, Mikel has laid the blueprint for former and current Nigerian stars on how to stay relevant after retirement. 

Only a few former Nigerian players have gone on to have successful careers post-retirement, with many of them waiting on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for handouts. 

Take Austin Eguavoen, for example, the ex-Nigerian international has been in and out of NFF’s payroll since 2006 with no significant success to show for it. 

There are many like Eguavoen, who believe it is their god-given right to enjoy retirement benefits from NFF in some capacity. 

This is not to say former internationals cannot serve the NFF after retirement, but it should not be a do-or-die affair thing for them. 

They should take a leaf out of Mikel’s book.  The ex-Chelsea star had also said in the past he would love to work in some capacity for the NFF, but it is not something he is solely relying on post-retirement.

While some would want to argue that Mikel got lucky, the truth is that there was nothing lucky about Mikel’s success post-retirement. 

It was a strategic move from the ex-Stoke City man, who had to work with the best PR and branding agency available. 

The ex-Super Eagles captain was intentional about his move post-retirement, which is not something we can say about some of his former colleagues. 

While some may want to argue that Mikel was able to achieve this because he had a successful career playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, Chelsea. 

However, the truth is that it does not matter. It is all about making strategic moves and being intentional. 

This is not to say everyone has to follow Mikel’s route, but it is important to have an idea of what post-retirement would be. 

After all, the likes of Seyi Olofinjana and Michael Emenalo did not have successful football careers like Mikel, but they have carved out successful careers for themselves in post-retirement. 

Although it may be too late for players who are retired, the current and future Super Eagles stars can start planning for life after retirement by following the blueprint of players like Olofijana, Emenalo and Mikel.