It has been a bad few days for Super Eagles maestro Joel Obi on and off the pitch in Italy.

Only last week, precisely on Wednesday, April 11, he was involved in an accident with his car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, while returning from the birthday party of his teammate, Argentina international Nicolas Burdisso.

Though the Nigerian midfielder was unharmed in the serious car crash, Torino coach Mazzarri did not want to take any risks and left him on the bench in the team's goalless draw at Chievo in the penultimate round of matches in the Italian topflight.

Joel Obi is not the first player of Nigerian descent to be involved in a car accident in Italy, Victor Obinna was taken to hospital after his car flipped several times back in 2007 and a year later Angelo Ogbonna miraculously escaped death when he plunged his car off a bridge into a river.

Only yesterday, the former Inter Milan wonderkid came on as a substitute after 58 minutes in Torino's 1-1 draw against AC Milan, but subbed out after spending only 27 minutes on the pitch.

It wasn't a tactical change by the coach of the Maroons as Obi picked up an injury in the closing minutes of the game at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : toronews.net