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John Mikel Obi said that he had played in a World Cup match in 2018 for Nigeria without knowing if he would come out of the field to find out that his father had been killed.
Before confronting Argentina, the midfielder had learned that his father had been kidnapped a second time.
Mikel, 31, reportedly paid 10 million naira (about £ 21,000) for her release.
"I thought I was going to lose my father, I thought he was going to be shot down because of the demand, etc.," he told Sportsworld, of BBC World Service.
"They said they would shoot it and that behind the back, I thought that after the game, I would probably find out that they had decided to shoot it.
"It's life." It made me stronger as a person, I can look at so many things and say "It's not going to shake me because I've lived worse." J & R Just hope that it will not happen again and that my father can enjoy the rest of his life in peace. "
Mikel, now playing for the Middlesbrough championship club, found out in June that his father and driver had been kidnapped under threat from Nigeria in the World Cup group game.
The former man from Chelsea said that he had chosen to say nothing about what was happening, he wanted the players to focus on the game.
"It was difficult for me, and when I heard that it happened, it was heartbreaking, especially with the timing, and I knew it would be traumatic for my father," he said.
"I did not tell anyone in the national team because I was captain and I had to head in. It was my responsibility to lead the team and I was not there. I was not going to say that I could not play or that I did not think about it, my father rather than football, I took it myself and I withheld it.
"It stayed in my head during the match and we could see after what I felt."
This month, Mikel's national teammate Samuel Kalu suffered a similar ordeal when his mother was kidnapped in Abia, a city in the south-east of the country.
Mikel, who no longer plays for his country since Argentina's 2-1 defeat in Russia, believes that the country's authorities must redouble their efforts to prevent this from happening again.
"I called Samuel when his mother was kidnapped and I gave him the advice of having lived twice.I knew what he would feel.I was happy that his mother be relaxed because you do not want anyone to go through there, "he added.
"I suppose that happens every day with different families and we obviously want the authorities to take more responsibility, but Nigeria is a very congested place and security can not be managed.
"You go out and you do not know if you will come back, the government needs to look at it and they can do more."
"China is not a place to go in the prime of life"
Mikel joined Middlesbrough in January after leaving China, Tianjin Teda.
He joined the Chinese Super League in January 2017 after 11 years with Chelsea, with whom he won two Premier League titles and the 2012 UEFA Champions League.
Mikel described his stay in China as "an important learning curve" and "an incredible time", but believes that the league is not a favorite place for the best players during the best years of their history. career.
"Football is not like what we play here, but they want to develop it – does it reach the level of the Premier League? I do not think so," he said.
"For a young player, I would not say it's there that you have to go in. It's a charming and obviously financial place, but if you're young, European clubs will want to pay you and you pay good money.
"You can go in your thirties … they call it money from retirement! Wait and win some trophies before you go."
You can find out more about John Mikel Obi on BBC World Service Sportsworld on Saturday, March 23 from 14:00 to 18:00 GMT.
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