Former Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi has responded to Jackson’s remarks, stating that he’ll remain silent as long as the Chelsea striker continues to score every week.
During Monday’s episode of his podcast, ‘The Obi One’, Mikel responded respectfully to Jackson’s reaction, emphasizing the positive intention behind his words.
Mikel had previously taken aim at Jackson’s finishing ability following Chelsea’s season opener against Manchester City.
Nicolas Jackson found the perfect moment to silence his critics, particularly former Nigeria international John Mikel Obi, who had been vocal about his struggles in front of goal.
Over the weekend, Jackson scored Chelsea’s fastest goal in seven years during their emphatic 6-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Senegalese forward used the opportunity to address Mikel’s earlier criticisms head-on.
Despite a promising build-up where Jackson dribbled past several defenders, he ended the play with a lackluster shot, a moment that left Mikel unimpressed.
Speaking as an analyst on beIN Sports, Mikel expressed his disappointment, saying, “We’ve played OK, we haven’t played perfect, but we’ve played OK. We created chances, we haven’t taken them. And just an example of how Jackson finishes. You can see there, even though he was offside, he dribbled past one or two or three players, and the way he shot the ball! You need a striker who knows how to hit a ball into the back of the net, and that’s what we don’t have.”
In response to these comments, Jackson took to social media after his standout performance against Wolves, tagging Mikel in a post that read, “‘@Mikel_john_obi shut your mouth. Don’t talk s***, we are killing ourselves for Africa.”
Mikel, however, clarified his position, stating, “I really like the guy as a football player. I like him. There’s something there as a football player. I haven’t said that he’s a bad player at all. I’ve just said that his finishing qualities, it’s not there yet. He’s a young boy, and all I’ve said is that he needs a more experienced striker to come into the football club to help him, to help him improve, to help him get better.”
Mikel further emphasized that his critique was intended to encourage Jackson to reach his full potential, especially given the legacy of great African strikers like Didier Drogba at Chelsea.
“We all can see the shift he puts in week in, week out. So for me, I would like to see my African brother, like he said, do well in the Premier League, come to Chelsea, a big club, a massive club where we’ve had one of the greatest strikers in Didier Drogba from Africa, Ivory Coast, who did really well. I’d like to see him do well as well in the club. If he plays well, I will praise him. If there is something to be said about him, where he needs to improve, I will definitely say it.”
Mikel also added that he would be more than willing to accept Jackson’s rebukes if he continues to find the back of the net regularly. “If he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I’ll take that. You know what I mean?”
Jackson, who joined Chelsea in 2023, has netted 18 goals in 46 appearances for the club.
Despite Mikel’s constructive criticism, he remains optimistic about the young striker’s potential to grow and succeed at Chelsea, hoping Jackson can rise to the challenge of becoming the next great African forward at Stamford Bridge.
