Super Eagles fans favorite Joel Obi has insisted that he was fit enough to be named in Nigeria's 23-man roster for the 2014 World Cup.

The late Stephen Keshi had named the Torino star as one of the nine midfielders on the provisional squad list but axed him from the final list announced, citing lack of fitness.

Though Joel Obi has criticized the former Nigeria skipper for omitting him, checks revealed that the attacking midfielder was indeed struggling for match fitness as he had only six minutes of game time in Parma's last nine matches in the Serie A during the 2013-14 season.

''I heard many things about me. Even the last World Cup people were saying I was injured, I was not fit, that wasn't true. It is part of football,'' Joel Obi told Kwese Sports.

''I am happy to be back. I am really focused to do my best so I can make it for the World Cup.''

Some Nigerian fans are not totally convinced that Gernot Rohr should take Joel Obi to the 2018 World Cup as a result of his poor injury record and had their hearts in their mouths when he was badly tackled several times during Nigeria's friendly against Poland last month.

''Something they have to know is injury is part of the game, you can't predict injury, sometimes it happens, that's football. The most important thing is to keep praying to God to be injury free.

''In games like that you have opponents that want to intimidate you, so you have to be ready. You have to be ready in any game we play that anything can happen. It is part of the game.

''The fans were afraid that I should not pick up an injury but I am not afraid of that. I am the first player to make a tackle, that is my style, I am not someone afraid of receiving kicks,'' added Joel Obi.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : instagram.com/joelobi22