Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has warned star midfielder, John Obi Mikel, that he might be booted out of the team if he fails to play to his rules.
“With the national team, it’s not what you want that matters, it is what will bring us results,” said Oliseh in a radio interview on Friday morning.
He added: “If you don’t want to do that, I will play players who want to help us, like I did against Swaziland.”
“My personal opinion is that he should be given a more central defensive role, like (Guus) Hiddink is using him. He should be the umbrella for the two central defenders.”
Mikel, 28, has become a regular feature at Chelsea since the coming of Hiddink who took over from Jose Mourinho in December.
According to the Dutchman, Mikel is his “ideal player” who “has had a kind of little revival” since his takeover – evident was his goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.
But it isn’t his goal and assist that has made him a hero in Stamford Bridge, rather his ability to shield the back-four, recovery rate and balance he adds to the team.
“He doesn’t lose many balls. I don’t expect and ask for decisive final passes, even though he can,” Blues manager, Hiddink said.
However, Mikel, who is the oldest member of the current Eagles team, plays in a slightly different position for Nigeria.
With Ogenyi Onazi sitting in front of the back-line, Mikel is used further forward in the box-to-box role.
But Oliseh expects Mikel to feature for his team in similar position as he does for the Blues.
The ex-skipper, who dropped the Chelsea no 12 in the world cup qualifier against Swaziland last October has threatened to repeat that act if he fails to adapt.
Nigeria face Egypt in an African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on March 25.
