Chinese fans, club celebrate Mikel’s father release

Walking into the Saint Petersburg Stadium on Tuesday brought sad memories of how Nigeria exited the ongoing Russia 2018 World Cup, losing 2-1 to Argentina in the last group D game last week Tuesday. Incidentally seven days in between.

With long faces, the few Nigerian journalists strolled into the stadium’s media centre to collect their match tickets for the game between Sweden and Switzerland, which was commissioned by the president of the Nigeria Football Federation -NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

Nothing to celebrate with Nigeria out of the Mundial, media men walked heads bowed in anguish as they heeded towards the stadium’s elevator to the media zone.

Long story cut short. Sweden beat Switzerland 1-0, with media men heading for the mixed zone for interviews with players and coaches.

Suddenly, Chinese reporters saw Nigerian journalists clad in the country’s green-white-green windcheaters moved towards us with smiles saying, ‘‘Where is John Mikel Obi’s father? Have they released Mikel’s father or what is happening to the old man,’’ they chorused with bated smile.

The Chinese, who apparently were fans of Mikel’s China club, Tianjin Teda jumped from joy when we responded that Mikel’s father had been released.

They asked again, ‘‘Do you have pictures to confirm that Mikel’s dad is alive because we heard that they threatened to kill him, if Mikel told anyone one he had been kidnapped?’’

They hugged some of us present at the mixed zone when they saw bromide of Nigerian newspapers showing Mikel’s father receiving treatment from doctors to confirm that he had been released.

What, however brought tears on the face of one of the Chinese journalist was the picture where Mikel’s father was being treated with blood stains on his shirt. He cleaned his tears and looked at the bigger picture- Mikel’s father was a free man and his son will return to their club in China a happy man.

Outside, the stadium, The Cable’s reporter Remi Sulola wore Odion Ighalo’s Chinese club’s jersey and any Chinese she walked past, pleaded to take pictures with her.

No prize for guessing right that they were fans of Ighalo’s Chinese side, Chanchun Yatai.