Nigeria captain played key hours of World Cup game after learning that his father was kidnapped

John Obi Mikel, captain of the World Cup football team in Nigeria, played his team's last crucial game against Argentina last week after discovering that kidnappers were holding his father hostage. He told his teammates or coaches before the start of the match, bringing a small group of friends out of the team, he said in a statement sent out. to several news agencies. He said that he had been told that his father would be immediately shot when he reported it to the authorities or to someone else.

Nigerian police rescued his father, Michael Obi, from a remote area in southeastern Nigeria on Monday. Mikel received a phone call while he was heading to the stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"I was emotionally distraught but I had to decide if I was mentally ready to play the game," Mikel said in his statement. . "I was confused, I did not know what to do, but in the end, I knew I could not drop 180 million Nigerians."

"I had to close my head and go represent my country in first, "he said, 19659002] Mikel said on Twitter on Tuesday that his father was" now recovering with his family, "thanking the police for" ensuring the safe return. " from my father after the test this week. "

The kidnappers demanded $ 28,000 for the return of Michael Obi and his driver, who had been abducted while he was going to a funeral at Enugu, Nigerian police told the Associated Press A police spokesman said he was rescued after a shooting with the kidnappers

Michael Obi was also kidnapped in 2011, while the kidnappers asked $ 4 billion ransom to Premier League club Chelsea where Mikel was playing at the time He was saved after 10 days but was severely beaten.

Abductions are not uncommon in Nigeria, where the kidnapping by Boko Haram of nearly 300 schoolgirls shocked the conscience of the world in 2014. Up to 110 girls disappeared in February group led a militant raid on a school.

Football stars from other countries have also been targeted for their money. The sister of the Brazilian star Hulk was detained for 24 hours in 2012 and the kidnappers took the brother of Wilson Palacios, a Honduran midfielder in 2007. His death was confirmed in 2009.

Mikel played for Chelsea , one of the largest football clubs, from 2006 to 2017, before settling in Tianjin Teda in China last year.

At the World Cup match on June 26, Nigeria needed a draw to qualify for the round of 16. The 86th minute to gives Argentina a 2-1 win.