Iwobi, who plays for Fulham, posted a silent video of the poor conditions at the Rive Hotel in Rabat, where the Super Eagles were lodged before their playoff matches against Gabon and DR Congo.
The post immediately stirred reactions online, with fans questioning the Nigeria Football Federation over player welfare and preparation for the decisive encounters.
Although Iwobi later clarified that he had no intention of criticising the hotel or the football authorities, Mikel expressed strong disapproval of the timing and impact of the post.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder said such content should never have been shared so close to an important match.
“Again, Alex Iwobi that picture, maybe it was taken innocently and him posting it up,” Mikel said.
"But again, as a player, playing in Europe, leaving in a nice accommodation, you should have known better, two days before the game.
“Don’t put that up, I read the comments, you don’t want those negativity, you don’t want that around two days before the playoff games."
Mikel added that if he were captain, he would have immediately instructed Iwobi to remove it.
“If I was the captain, I would tell him to take that down straight away. Take it off your Instagram, take it down, we don’t need that,” he said, emphasising that the distraction was unnecessary at such a critical time.
“For me, those are the things that maybe Alex posted that picture innocently, for some reasons, whether it was frustration or not, but don’t put it up on social media.
"For him to just come out and try to defend himself, all that just plays round, it’s a negativity.“
Mikel stressed that the team’s focus should have been entirely on getting the results needed to progress.
“You don’t need it, you should be concentrating on the games ahead, trying to find a way to win those games because those are the most important things you should be thinking about,” he added.
Despite Nigeria’s victory over Gabon in the first leg, the Super Eagles failed to secure the intercontinental playoff ticket after losing to DR Congo in the decisive match on Sunday night.
Adeyemi Adewale
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