Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh says Mikel Obi refused to pick his call in London

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi was not invited by the new Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh to play in the forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania. Asked why Mikel was left out of his list, Oliseh said he called Mikel several times but he never responded or called him back

“I went to England on a Thursday and Chelsea was just coming back. We had fixed our visit to coincide with the end of their tour before they played Arsenal. I contacted Obi Mikel, called him on several occasions with no reply; sent him an SMS with no reply, went to London where he plays in the same club with Victor Moses. I called Moses, the phone rang three times and he picked it up and I spoke with him. Moses came to the meeting but he (Mikel) didn’t come.”

I left to Liverpool to meet the other player and I spent about six hours to go there and back but there was no response from Mikel until I returned here. Till now I have not spoken with Mikel. I think it was yesterday (Wednesday) that I saw a missed call, so at the moment I don’t know what the situation is. No player is special, every player is the same, every other player we contacted and spoke with have been invited them” Oliseh said in a media parley yesterday in Abuja