Chelsea midfielder and Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel, is calling on the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to put all measures in place to avoid distractions as the team chase the Group B single spot for Russia 2018 World Cup.
He listed bonus payment, uncomfortable travel arrangements as things that could cause distractions to the players.
The Super Eagles are in charge of group B with three points and are looking to cement their hold on the group when they play against Algeria in Uyo, Akwa Ibom next month.
The midfielder spoke against the back drop of what happened before the Eagles travelled to Ndola to beat Zambia 2-1, noting that proper planning will help the team concentrate on playing football.
Mikel told BBC Sports, “For us to succeed we need to put things in place as early as possi ble and let the players focus on football, and not dealing with issues like flight and other things off the pitch.”
He recalled the experience with the Nigeria Under-23 team at Rio 2016 and wished that such embarrassing moments never happened in Nigeria football.
He added, “I don’t think any team or country can go through what we went through in Brazil and perform the way we did.
“To arrive at a tournament a couple of hours before your first game and still end up with a medal was an outstanding team performance.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the same problem [arriving on match day] we are facing now, but it is still the same issues that need to be sorted out.”
Mikel, however, explained how he is helping shield the team from distractions and keep things going with the lessons he learnt in Brazil.
“This is where my experience comes in and make sure I keep the team together. I don’t let whatever is happening outside distract the team.
“I try to take all the problems, I deal with it myself and I only speak to the players when there is good news”, he added.
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