SIASIA: ‘MY MIKEL’ IS BETTER THAN WILFRED NDIDI, HE’S A COMPLETE PLAYER

Former Nigeria coach Samsom Siasia has laughed off comparisms between Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel and Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, insisting Liverpool target Ndidi still has a long way to go to match the former Chelsea star who he reckons is a ‘complete player’.
Mikel played under  Siasia in the 2005 World Youth Championship that had since been renamed the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Mikel, who played in the competition where he finished behind Lionel Messi as the second best player shot into limelight and was the object of transfer dispute between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Mikel again played for Siasia team at the football tournament of the Rio 2016 Olympics. Siasia remarked that Mikel had passed the test of time having had to contend with suffocating challenges from the likes of Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, Claude Makelele, and Deco among others to get a defensive midfielder role in Chelsea.
While not dismissing the credentials of Ndidi, Siasia insists that Mikel still remains the face of Nigerian football.
“I laugh when I hear some soccer pundit comparing “My Mikel” with Wilfred Ndidi. I mean why should one go ahead comparing both players.
Mikel is a complete player any coach will love to have. He controls the ball perfectly and wins tackle neatly,” he told sportsvillagesquare.com.
“The way he shields the ball makes him a complete African player. Don’t quote me wrong. I am not saying Wilfred Ndidi is not a good player. Currently, he tackles hard than Mikel no doubt, but with the fact that he met Mikel in the game speaks volume about his ability and experience.
“Mikel  has been used by European great coaches and  his AFCON, World Cup and Champions League exposures are enough for Ndidi to look up to
him.
“Even while he is on national team colour, I trained him to a level whereby soccer loving Nigeria drum support for him to be call up into the Super Eagles. With his medals in football, I won’t be mistaken comparing him to great Nwankwo Kanu.
“Let me make it clear to Nigerians, Ndidi is also a promising star which I think he is capable of chasing the records of Mikel. He should keep working hard and I believe he will get there sooner or later,” remarked Siasia stated.