John Obi Mikel: How Former Nigeria Player Was Robbed of CAF African Player of the Year Award

• John Obi Mikel has opened up on his experience at the 2013 CAF Awards
• The Super Eagles star was a favourite to win the Player of the Year award
• Yaya Toure beat the former Chelsea star to be named best on the continent

Nigeria legend, John Obi Mikel has claimed he was 'criminally robbed' of the 2013 Africa Player of the Year award after a successful campaign with club and country.

Fresh off winning the UEFA Champions League in 2012, the former Super Eagles captain added the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and Europa League titles to his laurels.

However, Mikel was beaten to the award by Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure.

According to the former Nigerian international, he received a call before the ceremony informing him he had won the award, but that was not how it all panned out.

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“I got robbed of the African Footballer of The Year Award. Before I went, I was told I won it," he told Dubai Eye Radio.

“I was at the airport flying to Nigeria because the ceremony was in Nigeria, and Man City was playing, and Yaya Toure scored two goals."

An upset Mikel said there was no way he shouldn't have won the award, due to his numerous successes in Africa and Europe in the year preceding.

“I knew I had won it. It doesn’t matter how many goals he scored. I was in my prime, playing a lot of games. You could have seen the ceremony. Before it was even announced, everybody left the stage, people left.”

Mikel enjoyed a stellar career with Chelsea and Nigeria but spent the twilight of his career playing for Trabzonspor, Stoke City and Kuwait SC, per Transfermarkt.

The 35-year-old announced his retirement from the game last year.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that former Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi explained why African players abroad struggle financially despite earning huge wages.

The ex-Super Eagles captain has blamed heavy family burdens on footballers as the main source of their struggles.

Mikel Obi spent over a decade at Chelsea and remains one of the most successful African players in the English Premier League.