Mikel Obi: A Distance From the No "10" Tradition

By Adetayo Odulaja

You remember Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Kaka, the list goes on.... They all have one thing in common which is, their jersey No. 10.

Jersey No. 10 is meant for players who are "cult heroes" in their respective teams and this tradition is as old as football and the trends continue in this World Cup.

For football enthusiasts, it is only natural to expect much from any player wearing the NO. 10 for their country owing to the fact that they most times dictate the play for the rest of the team members in the attract line from the midfield. Simply put, the bulk of the team's creativity rest on their shoulders. They do the thinking, magical, unimaginable and sometimes "cheat".

We know the story of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jnr and the new kid on the block with 5goals, 4assists in 4games, James Rodriguez. However, the same cannot be said of Nigeria number 10 jersey which was made famous by the multi-talented magician, Austin "Jay Jay" Okocha Seeing the cute-looking Mikel Obi playing or acting as No. 10 completely negates the encomium and authority that comes with such a vital role.

Without undermining the effort of the Nigeria national team and it technical crew, one can say that after three matches, the team has been relatively lucky to have progressed to the round of 16 with below average performance from Mikel which has drawn criticism from the fans back home.

Many of the aforementioned names are winners of the Balon D'or and that goes to justify that the number attracted glory to their personalities.

Come to think of it, this same Mikel Obi was the cynosure of all eyes when he was second best to Messi at the World Youth championship in 2005 but today without mincing words we can tell who has evolved into a super character.

Interestingly, some believe that the player,  Mikel would have improved a whole lot if he hadn't been restricted and cultured into his new style. 

What influenced his or informs his style of play today is not the bone of contention now but to state the fact that he must step up his game to be ranked amongst the greats sooner or later because even the kids on he street would prefer a No 10 with dignity.