John Mikel Obi says the team spirit within the Nigeria team has taken them to within 90 minutes of an Olympic final at the men’s football tournament in Brazil.
Nigeria, who are captained by the Chelsea midfielder, face Germany later today with a place in the final at stake, and Mikel has been speaking about why his team have performed so well.
‘Sheer determination, effort, togetherness and unity in the team,’ he told Fifa’s website. ‘It’s been absolutely amazing. Also the team is built to play offensive football and to express ourselves and make sure we create chances and score goals.
‘I think it’s hunger and willingness to help each other on the pitch, to run for each other. We know exactly what to do when we play. I think that’s very important and that’s exactly what’s got us here.’
During the competition, Mikel has been operating in a more advanced position than he usually does for the Blues, which allowed him to score his first goal of the tournament in last Friday’s win over Denmark, timing his run into the box perfectly and finishing well with his left foot.
‘Every time I come back to the national team, I play more offensively,’ he said. ‘I always try and make sure I make the team play and create chances. I enjoy it. It’s great to play in that position again.’
‘The quality is amazing. It’s like playing in the Champions League. One mistake and it’s a goal, trust me. It’s been like that. Our defence has been solid, so let’s hope we keep going that way. The less we concede, I think we can create chances and hurt teams.’
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