Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel has praised Odion Ighalo after his hat-trick paved the way for the Super Eagles to thrash Libya 4-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday evening.
The two Super Eagles stars have experienced different fortunes since the end of the 2018 World Cup.
While Changchun Yatai’s Ighalo has been firing on all cylinders for club and country, Tianjin Teda’s Mikel has struggled to overcome an injury which has limited his appearances to five from a possible 14 games in the Chinese Super League.
Mikel asked to be left out of the squad, citing injury concerns, but hopes to make himself available for selection in next month’s cracker against table-topping South Africa.
In an Instagram post, Mikel said: “Congratulations to the team! Amazing game, good team spirit and also congratulations Ighalo on your hat-trick”.
Obi Mikel, 31, made his debut for the Super Eagles in a 1-0 win over Libya in a friendly back in August 2005.
