Ex-Nigeria Star Okoronkwo: Mikel Did The Right Thing To Leave Chelsea, Musa Should Follow Suit

Retired Nigeria international Isaac Okoronkwo has admitted that he has attempted to persuade Ahmed Musa to leave Leicester City when he met the striker in Russia as the Super Eagles were preparing to face Argentina in an international friendly last month.

Okoronkwo pointed out that Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel was forced to leave Chelsea in the winter transfer market as he was consistently snubbed by Antonio Conte after returning to the team from Brazil, where he represented the Dream Team at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Asked to name Nigeria's best football player at the moment, Okoronkwo told Sport Box:''I can not give a specific name. That's why Nigeria's team is good, that it is very balanced.

''All work for each other, and there is no football player on whose game all the others would depend.

''Take John Obi Mikel. He correctly did that, he left Chelsea for China. It's better to play there than to sit on the bench.''

Okoronkwo added : ''I want to visit at least two matches out of three (at the World Cup). I hope that they will call me, as it was in the recent game in Krasnodar. By the way, I talked with the guys and, in particular, with Ahmed Musa .

''I tried to convince him that returning to Russia would be the right step. In Leicester he sits on a bench, completely lost the game tone.

''Before the World Cup, he needs a team that he knows well, and after the tournament you will be able to think about other options. Especially CSKA Moscow, they need a central striker now.''

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rostov defender hung up his boots four years ago but remained in Russia because he's married to a Russian lady.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : fc-rostov.ru