The Chairman of a non-league football club in Jos, Junior El-Kanemi, the club where former Super Eagles midfielder and captain, John Obi Mikel was discovered, Alhaji Idi Salihu Kwando, has reacted with pride and excitement following the announcement of international retirement from Nigeria's senior national team by Mikel after Nigeria's third place playoff with Tunisia at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.
Allnigeriasoccer.com visited Alhaji Kwando in his home in Jos-North of Plateau State earlier today to get his reaction on Mikel's international retirement and he had glowing tributes to pour.
"Mikel started his career at this club, we discovered him, we trained him and we sent him out to conquer the world and he has conquered and we are all happy".
"He was about 5 or 6 years old when he started here with us in 1993 and right from the first day I knew there was something special about him" he added.
Alhaji Kwando further went on to say he can only offer his congratulations to the player for all he has achieved internationally with the national team and felt very proud that one of his discoveries is amongst the few footballers across the world that have played at all categories internationally and prayed that he continues to shine for club football as he continues with his career.
John Obi Mikel had shot into reckoning with the Ganiyu Salami led Nigeria National Under-17 team between 2002 and 2003 when Austin Eguavoen took over the team to the World Under -17 championship in Finland.
He also played for Nigeria at the Under-20 World Championships in the Netherland in 2005 where Nigeria finished as runners-up to a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina and he won the second most valuable player of the competition behind the Barcelona superstar.
He broke into the Super Eagles in 2005 and has been part of the team since then.
He has won an Africa Cup of Nations cup title with Nigeria in 2013 and three AFCON bronze medals in 2006, 2010 and 2019.
He also won an Olympic bronze with the "Dream Team" in 2016 in Brazil.
He is expected to continue his professional career with Trabzonspor of Turkey.
Ferdinand Mbum
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