The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has
praised John Obi Mikel’s impact on his
squad as the Blues won their third round
FA Cup game against Derby County on
Sunday.
The Blues were late in scoring before the
Nigerian’s header in the second half put
them on their way to winning 2-0.
Mikel was given the captain’s armband by
Ghanaian Michael Essien instead of Ashley
Cole and he went on to make great
impact afterwards scoring his fourth ever
Chelsea goal on the day he made his
300 appearance for the club.
“I never recognise his ability to score
goals,” Mourinho told the club's website.
“I recognise his ability to play as an
anchorman, to play that position in a very
comfortable way, with no mistakes. He
reads the game well, plays in an
intelligent and safe way, but I never
recognise his goal scoring appetite.
“There was a smile on my face [when he
scored]. For some reason Essien gave him
the armband, normally it should go to
Ashley Cole, so maybe it made him
believe he was a goal scorer!
“It was important for us, we were
dominating and dominating, creating and
creating but the goal was not arriving. It
was like the winning goal.'
Mikel is in the running for the 2013 Caf
African Player of the Year award that will
be announced on Thursday January 9 at a
gala to be held in Lagos. He is contesting
against Ivoirians Yaya Toure and Didier
Drogba.
He has seen support for him rise in
recent days with Nigeria coach Stephen
Keshi stating: “It will boost the team and
Mikel and all Nigerians because it has
been a long time since we last won the
award and I know we deserve to win this
year.”
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